Cursed
by Cotton Candy Mareep
Summary: Claire moves to Mineral Town to start a refreshing new life, but everything is not always as it seems. The other townsfolk act suspiciously, animals are found slaughtered, strange sounds are heard in the dark of night. Something obviously isn't right in this little town, and Claire makes it her mission to solve the mystery once and for all... before it's too late.
1. Strange Advice

**A/N: Well, since I'm just about finished with my other story, "Cucumber," I decided to post the first chapter of my next fic! A longfic, in fact. Long, as in, maybe fifteen chapters or so? **

**I labeled this fic as mystery/horror, but it can also be labeled as suspense/friendship/family/romance. And though they both include many of the same characters, in no way is this story at all related to my other fanfic. Just so you know, the story starts to pick up a lot more after this introductory first chapter, so please bear with me, haha. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this mystery as much as I enjoy writing it! **

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.**

* * *

Chapter 1: Strange Advice

"And we're here!"

The mustachioed little man threw out his arms enthusiastically, nearly knocking the large, bright red top hat off his own head in the process. As he lifted his arms to steady the absurd headwear, Claire peered over his shoulder expectantly (which wasn't difficult, considering the man's height), then looked back at the short newspaper clipping clutched in her hand_._

_'Would you like to enjoy a peaceful and refreshing farm life?' _she read for what seemed the hundredth time._ 'Then consider purchasing Sunshine Farm in Mineral Town! For more info, contact this number:," _followed by a series of numbers and the address of a certain Mayor Thomas's house in Mineral Town.

The young woman glanced up again at the spacious acres of land before her, cluttered with boulders and rotting logs, overgrown with weeds. A tiny, rundown cottage stood at the edge of the field nearest them, along with matching barn and stable. Further away, at the other end of the field, stood an equally worn out henhouse.

Not quite what she would describe as 'peaceful and refreshing.'

When Claire had discovered the ad in the newspaper back home, she had called the listed phone number immediately, and imagined herself lying in a meadow of wildflowers, the gentle sound of a stream trickling nearby and a soft breeze rustling through her golden hair. Green grass tickling her bare toes, and fluffy sheep and chickens wandering the fields. Row upon row of corn stalks, cucumbers and tomatoes and turnips and Goddess knows what else.

It was the life she had always dreamed of. A chance to escape the city she so disliked and finally run a farm on her own, a chance to make her dreams a reality at long last.

But this? This just looked like a hell of a lot of work.

"So…" Mayor Thomas inquired, "What do you think?"

He had put the ad in the paper himself, knowing full well that any potential buyer would find it deceiving to call this farm anything but shabby, at the very least. But how else was he to get this useless hunk of land off his hands? Thomas chuckled at his own daring.

"Well… it's not really what I had in mind…" Claire acknowledged with the hint of a sigh, "But I guess it will have to do."

Not that she had much of a choice, considering that, in a flurry of excitement, she had already foolishly sold her own apartment back in the city.

"Ah… really? Good, good!"

Thomas chuckled again. He hadn't counted on this young lady to give in so easily, and had been expecting some more... _reluctance_ on her part. He was prepared for that, but this just made it all so much easier.

"Well then, that will be… 60,000G, yes? I'll give you a discount, what with the farm being in such bad condition and all. Oh yes, it's going to take a lot of work to fix this place up, but don't worry yourself, all right? A little hard work never hurt anyone, eh?"

He chuckled once more, and Claire found herself becoming increasingly annoyed with this little man and his silly mustache. However, seeing as she had nowhere else to go, she decided she might as well admit defeat.

Claire handed Mayor Thomas the money she had prepared, and was just turning toward her new home when he called out, "Welcome to Mineral Town! I do hope you enjoy it here, by all means! We really are quite a lovely community, as you will soon see!"

But...," his expression grew somewhat more somber, "_P__lease_ bear in mind- be careful in the dark. Don't want you to get hurt now, do we? In fact, it might be best to avoid going out at night at all. Just... a precautionary measure. Well, goodbye then, and I'll see you around town!" He scurried away, leaving Claire alone in her field.

Lugging her overstuffed suitcases to the cottage, she froze at the front door, deep in thought. _Be careful in the dark? What is that supposed to mean? Kind of an odd thing to tell someone. _

Claire snorted, pushing the uneasy thoughts to the back of her mind. _It's not like I'm twelve years old or anything. I can take care of myself, and I don't need some nutcase old mayor's advice. _She took a deep breath, bracing herself for the worst, and turned the doorknob. The door stuck a bit at first, but she gave it a good hard push and it swung open.

To her surprise, the cottage's interior wasn't nearly as bad as she had feared. A bit dusty, if anything. The house had one large rectangular room, with a door leading off on each side, presumably toward a bathroom and a closet. There was a small kitchenette and refrigerator in the back left corner of the room, and a bed and bedside table in the back right corner. A well-stocked bookshelf, floor-length mirror, and television set lined the walls, as well as an old grandfather clock and large wooden chest. In the center of the room stood a simple round table with two chairs. All in all, it was about the same size as her apartment in the city.

After dragging her bags over to the bed and tossing them onto the bedspread with a _huff_, Claire headed toward the door on the right wall and opened it, finding that it was, in fact, a closet. After rolling up her sleeves and tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder, Claire grabbed a broom from within and set to work. She might as well make the most of her time, and begin the task of transforming this shack into something that she could actually call _home_.

* * *

About an hour later, there came a knock on the door, and Claire set down her cleaning tools to answer it. The house was coming along quite nicely. Once the dust was cleared away, it had turned out to be almost cozy. Almost cozy, but definitely quaint, the very opposite of her ultra-modern apartment in the city. But, in all honesty, _this_ was what Claire had always preferred. And she had even discovered a pretty vase in the closet to keep flowers in, which she placed on her bedside table.

Claire's visitor turned out to be an elderly man with a white beard and glasses, holding a small puppy in his arms. A young girl in a simple red dress stood by his side, her raven tresses tied in two thick braids.

"Hello," the old man introduced himself, as the dog squirmed in his arms, "I'm Barley. I live at Yodel Ranch just down the road, along with my granddaughter here, May. I heard from the mayor that someone was to be moving in to this old farm, so I decided to stop by to pay a visit." He lifted one hand toward her in greeting, the other arm keeping the restless puppy steady.

Slightly flustered, Claire shook his hand, ignoring how wrinkled and callused the man's skin was. "Oh... well, thank you. I'm Claire, by the way." She went on to introduce herself to her new neighbor, explaining just how she had happened across the farm ad in the paper, and soon moved from the big city into Mineral Town, the type of village she had always dreamed of. It was a beautiful small town, indeed- though Claire decided not to mention her thoughts on the farm itself.

Barley nodded as a small grin spread across his face. "Well... since you're new here, I thought you might like a little welcoming gift." He lifted up the puppy for Claire to see. "Our dog Hanna recently had puppies, so we thought you might like one. He could be a big help on the farm when he grows up."

"Oh… for me?" Claire squeaked. The puppy was incredibly cute, with his big brown eyes, floppy ears, and soft auburn fur. A little red bandana was tied around his neck. Claire had always wanted a puppy, but her old apartment in the city didn't allow pets.

However... most people she knew would give a home-cooked meal as a housewarming gift, a pie or a pot of curry or maybe a fresh batch of chocolate cookies. Not a dog.

_Maybe that's what people do around here,_ she thought. _Oh well, I can't complain! _

She scooped the puppy into her arms, beaming. "Thank you so much! That was so thoughtful of you! I absolutely adore animals, especially dogs!"

She glanced down at the puppy, inspecting him. "I'll call you… Bailey!"

The puppy barked once in response, and Claire grinned even wider.

Barley paused in thought for a moment. "You love animals… what would you say to a horse? I have a nice young horse back at the ranch, but he doesn't get much work out there. May's too young to ride him, and I'm much too creaky in my old age. But you look like you could put him to good use."

Claire nearly fainted on the spot. She had loved horses ever since she was a child, and had taken riding lessons for years, but never did she think she would ever have a horse to call her own!

"Oh, thank you, that would be wonderful! When can I take him?"

Barley beamed at the young woman's obvious enthusiasm. "Well, you could take him now if you like. Just follow me to the ranch."

Excitedly, Claire rushed inside and set the puppy down gently on her bed, where he sniffed the blankets and then curled contentedly into a ball.

"Stay here," she cooed, giving him a quick scratch behind the ear. "Good boy!"

Still grinning, the blonde hurried back outside to follow Barley and May down the road to their ranch. The day had taken an interesting turn, that was for sure. First a new town, then a new house, new neighbors, and now_ this_.

Little did Claire know, that would soon come to be the last thing on her mind.

* * *

At Yodel Ranch, Claire stood and waited by the fence with May while Barley went into his barn to prepare the horse. She leaned against a fence post, enjoying the mid-afternoon sunshine, while May twirled around in the grass beside her. Cows and a few fluffy white sheep grazed in the large grassy pasture beyond the fence, peacefully content.

"So, May…" Claire decided to ask the girl, "How do you like living here in Mineral Town?"

May narrowed her eyes in thought for a moment before responding. "...I like it here. Grandpa is nice to me, and sometimes he lets me go play at the church with Stu!"

Claire was about to ask who 'Stu' was when May abruptly turned away from her and leaned down to pick a stray dandelion from the cluster of weeds at the edge of the fence. She squinted down at the flower she picked thoughtfully.

"But…"

"But what?" Claire inquired gently.

May stared up at her. "Promise you won't tell? Not anyone?"

The older girl smiled, prepared for the usual childish confession. "I promise."

The young girl's expression immediately darkened. "Well… sometimes, I hear things at nighttime, after I go to bed. Scary noises. It... it wakes me up when it's still dark out, and I hear growling and things from under my window, and I get scared, so I pull the blankets over my head and close my eyes real tight. I think it might be _monsters_. But Grandpa says it's just my 'magination."

May sighed and allowed the dandelion to fall from her hand. Then she smiled. "Grandpa says I have a really good 'magination. Better than Stu even!"

Just then, Barley returned, carrying a bag of pet food and pulling a large, dark chocolate brown horse behind him by the reins. "Here's some food for the pup," he said, handing the bag to Claire, "And this is the horse! His name's Thunder, and he's yours now. I assume you know how to care for a horse?"

Claire nodded excitedly. Her lessons had taught her everything she needed to know about horse care.

"All right," Barley continued, "Then you'll be needing this." He pulled a large brush out of his front pocket.

"This is an animal brush, as you probably know. Use it on Stormy here every day, and on any other livestock you get on your farm. Judging from the looks of that barn you have, I'd say that you'll be planning to buy some cows, maybe a couple sheep. Both I'd be willing to sell to you from my ranch for a modest price."

He glanced around nervously, as if to make sure they were not being overheard, before continuing his speech. "But I must remind you- always, _always_ bring all your animals inside at night. And lock the doors while you're at it. Otherwise, they may _never_ be seen again."

Claire felt a chill run down her spine. "What? But why?"

Barley gave her a strange look. Was that pity she saw etched on his lined face, or something more? "Just take my advice. Keep them locked up at night, and you'll be spared a whole lot of worry."

And with that, he turned and lumbered back to his house. May waved goodbye to Claire and followed her grandfather inside, leaving the young blonde rancher alone with her new horse.

"Oh-okay… bye then," she stammered, and turned to give the stallion a pat on the head. "What is going on around here?"

Thunder, being a horse, could only snort in reply. Claire sighed and turned away.

_Something strange is happening here, _she thought to herself, a_nd I'm going to find out what it is._

Shaking her head, Claire took hold of the horse's reins and led him back to the farm, where she could continue her cleaning efforts and finally unpack her things.

* * *

That night, Claire lay asleep in her bed, Bailey curled up at her feet. Thunder was asleep as well, locked up in his new stable.

Clouds had been hovering in the sky nearly all evening, but now they had begun to clear out, leaving a rounded, glowing moon in their wake. A single beam of shining light, surrounded by stars like pinpricks in a swatch of dark silk.

And as the clouds drifted away, there came a lone wolf howl, long and low, carried by the wind.

Thunder pricked his ears and whinnied nervously, while inside the house, Bailey lifted his head and growled at the door. Claire however, being a very sound sleeper, did not stir, and the noise went on unnoticed by her, cutting off only when the first early morning rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon.

* * *

**A/N: So what do you think so far? Perhaps this first chapter wasn't the most eventful, but like I said, the story will definitely begin to pick up in later chapters! Trust me, I've got it all planned out. And in the next chapter, Claire will be meeting a lot more of the other villagers! Also, I know I didn't go into Claire's backstory very much, but that shall all be explained by a later date!**

**Chapter 2 should be up pretty soon, but after that, my updates on this story will be a bit less frequent. I have a lot going on, but I'll make it my goal to try and update at least once a week! (On the weekends, most likely). **

**Anyway, a big thank you to anyone reading this, and leave a review while you're at it! Any thoughts, suggestions, and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated! **

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	2. A Warning

**A/N: Here's the next chapter, as promised! And thank you, silentbunny17 and Crimrose4all, for the lovely reviews! :)**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.**

* * *

Chapter 2: A Warning

Claire awoke to the strange sensation of a wet tongue lapping against her face.

"Ugh… Bailey!" She gently shoved the puppy away, wiping slobber off her cheek with a pajama sleeve, and then slipped out of bed, stretching her arms as she stood upright.

"Hey boy… you hungry?"

Bailey barked once in reply, and Claire giggled. "Alrighty then!"

Motioning for the dog to follow her, and quickly slipping on her favorite pair of fuzzy bunny slippers, Claire walked toward the kitchen cupboard for two bowls and filled them, one with pet food and the other with water. Bailey eagerly waited for her to finish, and dived in as soon as she set the bowls down on the floor. As the puppy ate, Claire dressed in a clean plaid shirt and jeans, and then opened the fridge to grab her own breakfast.

Within the fridge, there were only a few bottles of water, some apples, and a bunch of grapes, the meager remains of the food that Claire had brought with her from the city.

"Hmm…" she pondered aloud, "looks like I'll need to go grocery shopping as soon as possible!"

She lifted the grapes from the shelf and closed the fridge door, then strolled across the room to step outside as she popped a particularly juicy grape into her mouth. Glancing around, Claire spotted a mailbox to her left, and gingerly stepped over to lift the lid.

To her surprise, there was a letter inside, and it was addressed to her! She carefully picked up the sheet of paper and read it quickly, realizing that it was actually an invitation.

'_Dear Claire,_

_Welcome to Mineral Town! My name is Carter, and I am the town's resident pastor. I received your name from Mayor Thomas, in case you were wondering. Since you are new to this town, I thought it would be a good idea to invite you to a little get-together at the Mineral Town church at two this afternoon. Think of it as a welcoming party! It is a chance to get to know some of your new neighbors. I do hope you have received this letter in time- my sincerest apologies if you have not! We will all be expecting you, so please be sure to come if at all possible!_

_Sincerely, Pastor Carter'_

Claire folded the invitation neatly and placed it in her back pocket. A party? For her? Of course she would come! It wasn't like she had any other real plans for the day.

Hopefully, she would be able to make some friends her own age, and put the strange events of yesterday out of her mind.

* * *

At a quarter to two that afternoon, after making sure that Bailey and Thunder were well fed and safely locked in the house and stable, respectively, Claire set off for the Mineral Town church. She remembered that the church was located in the far corner of town, thanks to the tour from Mayor Thomas that she had just received the day before.

The church was a pretty building, painted a clean white color, with large stained glass windows that let in plenty of sunlight during the day. Walking up to the building, Claire paused for a moment to admire a window depicting the Harvest Goddess rising from a spring of bubbling azure water before stepping inside.

"_Surprise_!"

Claire was pleasantly surprised to find the church pews full of people. Brightly colored balloons bobbed around the ceiling in clusters, and a long table at the front of the room was lined with various foods- fish, stews, pies, cookies, you name it. The whole room had a cheerful atmosphere, and was filled with the hum of many voices speaking at once as the townspeople returned to their conversations.

A smiling, clean-cut young man walked up to Claire, holding out his hand in a friendly manner. He didn't look too much older than herself- though looks could be deceiving, she figured.

"Hello there, my name is Carter, the pastor at this church! And I'm assuming that you're Claire? I've never seen you around here before!"

"Yes… I'm the new farmer in town..." Claire responded as she shook his hand shyly, glancing around the room again at her surroundings.

"Well then, I'm glad you could make it, Claire, and welcome to Mineral Town! I must say, we haven't had anyone new join our community in quite some time. It's great to see that old farm being put to use!" Carter then went on to quickly introduce Claire to everyone in the room.

"This is Anna and Basil, and their daughter Mary. Mary runs the local library down at the other end of the road."

Mary fit the description of librarian perfectly, with her dark hair, glasses, bookish clothing style, and quiet demeanor. Timidly, she greeted Claire and gave the new farmer a shy smile.

Anna, whose hair color matched her daughter's exactly, gave Claire a warm welcome, and her husband Basil shook Claire's hand cordially. Basil was a botanist, Claire learned, which would explain the faint scent of herbs emanating off him. She giggled inwardly at his fitting name as Carter turned her toward the next set of people.

"And this is Sasha and Jeff, who own the supermarket, with their daughter Karen."

Karen was a pretty girl about the same age as Claire, her golden brown hair streaked with blond highlights in the front that framed her face nicely. Her mother Sasha was just as pretty, with her brown hair tied up in an elegant bun.

Jeff, on the other hand, was quite average. It wasn't hard to figure out where Karen got her good looks from. All three of them greeted Claire with kindness, and Claire remembered that she would have to buy groceries from them today, since they owned the only supermarket in town.

Carter continued on. "This is Rick, who lives at the Poultry Farm, and his younger sister Popuri." The pair of siblings nodded to Claire, and Carter turned to address Rick specifically. "Why, where is Lillia? Why didn't she come to the party?"

Popuri grinned and shook Claire's hand a little too enthusiastically, her pink hair bouncing, while Rick shuffled his feet and fiddled with his glasses nervously. "Mom's not feeling well at all today. Her headaches came back again, so she decided it would be best to stay home and take a nap instead."

"Ah… well, be sure to send her our love. We're so sorry she couldn't make it today."

Carter turned back to Claire and began to lead her to the other end of the room. His expression changed to one of regret.

"You see Claire…" he began, "Rick and Popuri's mother, Lillia, has been diagnosed with a very rare disease… so rare, in fact, we do not even know what it is called. It all began many years back, when Lillia was a young lady. About your age. She began developing severe headaches that weakened her entire body… she would stay in bed for days at a time… even Dr. Trent, our local medical practitioner, couldn't figure out what caused it. Then her husband Rod left town to find a rare plant he believed had the power to cure her… he hasn't been seen since. Yes, she's had a tough life, that one. We all pray to the Harvest Goddess that she'll pull through."

"Oh…" Claire said, at a loss for words. The pastor shook his head and put a hand to Claire's shoulder.

"Well, don't let it put a damper on your day! There are still a lot of townsfolk you have to meet!"

He led her over to a large group of villagers huddled nearby. "This is Doug, the local innkeeper, and his daughter Ann… one of their guests, Cliff… Duke and his wife Manna, who own Aja Winery… Zack, who takes care of the shipping business in and out of town… Gotz the carpenter… and Gray the blacksmith's apprentice. Where's Saibara, Gray?"

Gray sighed, and just for a second, his eyes caught Claire's. He hurriedly adjusted his cap to cover his face. "Gramps didn't come. Really busy, lots of orders to fill. In fact, I should probably be heading back before he gets angry."

And with that, he shoved his way out the door.

"Wow," Claire said under her breath, "Real friendly guy."

Ann, the innkeeper's daughter with a long, reddish brown braid down her back, glanced over at her. "You know, Gray's not always that way. He's just shy. In fact, he can be nice when you get to know him… kind of."

Claire blushed. She hadn't expected anyone to overhear her.

"Oh, I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it," said a voice to their left. A girl with a kind face and short chestnut hair walked up, followed closely by a man with black hair and dark, serious eyes.

"Hello, Claire! My name is Elli, and this is Trent, the resident doctor. We work at the clinic here in Mineral Town. I live just down the street, next door to Mayor Thomas and Officer Harris, with my little brother Stu and my grandmother Ellen. I'm afraid that they couldn't come today, though. Grandma Ellen has a medical condition in her legs that makes it difficult for her to walk. She stayed at home with Stu."

"Oh…that's too bad."

The short-haired girl, Elli, grinned. "Yes, but you can still come see them anytime you like! Grandma Ellen loves to have visitors. She says it's good for her."

"So…" Claire struggled to make conversation, "How is life here in Mineral Town?"

For a fraction of a second, Claire thought she saw a glimmer of fear in Elli's brown eyes, but it was gone so quickly that she felt she must have imagined it.

Ann and Trent, meanwhile, exchanged a glance that flickered with obvious uneasiness. "To tell you the truth…" Ann began, but was silenced by a jab in the ribs from Elli's elbow.

"…Mineral Town is a wonderful place to live!" Elli finished. "I'm sure you'll love it here!"

"Uh… okay." Claire winced inwardly at her own inability to speak in educated sentences.

"Do you like potatoes?" Ann blurted out suddenly.

"What? Oh… yeah, sure." _She sure seems eager to change the subject._

"Well, um, 'cause my father Doug makes this really great stew with potatoes, and stuff. You should really come try it sometime, it's delicious!"

Trent cleared his throat loudly, shooting Ann a warning glance, causing the girl to blush.

"…I'd, uh, better get going," Ann mumbled, and hurried off into the crowd. Elli glanced at Trent before turning back to Claire.

"Sorry about that. She… just gets kind of strange around new people, that's all. But she's a nice person! I'm sure you guys will warm up to each other quickly."

Claire nodded. "Um, yeah… that's okay. Yeah."

"So what are you doing tomorrow?"

"Well," Claire pondered for a moment, "I was thinking that I'd go buy a cow from Barley down at Yodel Ranch. And maybe a sheep. That way I could make some money off their milk and wool and stuff."

Elli nodded. "And you could buy some seeds, too, from the supermarket where Karen lives. We can always use fresh produce around here."

"Yeah, that's a good idea! Thanks! I need to go shopping for groceries there anyway."

The brunette grinned. "And then you can come visit me and Trent at the clinic." She turned to Trent. "Speaking of the clinic, we should probably be getting back over there. Goodbye, Claire. It was nice meeting you!" With a smile and wave goodbye, Elli and the doctor turned toward the door and left.

Claire looked around. The party was nearing its end, so she hurried up the row of pews to grab a snack from the table before they cleaned up.

As she scooped the last slice of cheesecake onto her plate, Claire felt the strange sensation of a pair of eyes watching her. Turning around, she sighted a man around her own age looking at her, his bushy brown hair pulled back in a ponytail.

Upon seeing Claire staring at him, he quickly whipped his head around to talk to the winery couple, Duke and Manna. _What was his name again? _Suddenly it came to her. _Cliff._

"Hey, Cliff!" she shouted, swiftly grabbing a fork and darting across the room. Cliff shot her an uncomfortable glance and turned back to Duke and Manna, who were watching the blonde with interest.

"Hello, Claire, dear." Manna said as she came up to them. "How are you settling in at the farm? Such a good amount of land, it's a shame it went into such disarray. But the house is just so small! Even our home at the winery, where Duke and I live, is bigger than that. I would invite Cliff here to come stay with us, he's almost like a son to us, but he prefers it at the inn. Oh well, there's nothing we can do to change his mind, and I can hardly blame him. Doug's cooking is just _so_ good, and Ann is turning out to be quite the chef herself. You know, this one time, at the Cooking Festival last spring…"

After just a few seconds of this babble, Claire had blocked out the sound of Manna's voice completely, and was instead contemplating a way to shut her up. _Isn't there an off switch? _

Duke, sensing possible trouble, grabbed his wife's arm and pulled her away. "C'mon, Manna, we should get going. Got some business to take care of." Looking back, he winked at Claire and said, "Don't need you giving the new girl a headache."

Claire giggled and looked over at Cliff. He was smiling, but once he saw Claire watching him, he quickly turned his head.

"Oh, don't be shy. You look so… nice… when you smile like that."

Cliff turned back to her smiling face, then glanced around at the rest of the partygoers. Most of them had dispersed by now. "I… I have to… tell you something," he stammered, looking troubled.

"Oh… okay," Claire said, confused, and sat down at one of the pews. She gestured for Cliff to take a seat beside her. "What is it?"

"You… you've made a mistake in moving here."

"Huh? …Why?"

Cliff glanced around another time, then leaned in closer. "Claire… you're in grave danger."

* * *

**A/N: And there's the cliffhanger!**

**Anyway, I've been debating on whether or not to include any romance in this fic. If I do decide to include a bit of romance, I have some ideas, but your opinions and suggestions are always welcome! **

**Also, I have about half a chapter left to write for my other fic, "Cucumber," and once I'm done with that I'll be able to focus more on this story! So thank you for reading, and please review! **

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	3. Shadows

**A/N: Yes, that cliffhanger was indeed a pun. An unintentional pun, but a pun nonetheless. Get it? His name is **_**Cliff**_**? and it was a **_**cliff**_**hanger? Oh, never mind. **

**Special thanks to those who have read and reviewed so far! :)**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Shadows

Back at the farm that evening, Claire felt restless and uneasy. She hadn't even gone to the store for groceries, although she was seriously lacking food in her house at the moment. Instead, she paced the room impatiently while her puppy, Bailey, watched her from his spot on the rug, whimpering slightly. He could sense that something was bothering his new human girl.

Sighing, Claire abandoned her pacing and scooped the puppy up into her arms, taking a seat at the small table in the center of the room. She scratched him behind the ears, and he turned to lick her hand as she drifted off, lost in thought.

After the party that afternoon, Claire could only think about what Cliff had said to her. It had sounded silly, ludicrous even, and yet there was a ring of truth to it.

And that ring of truth was what made her feel so anxious.

_"Claire… you're in grave danger."_

Claire was so shocked, she didn't know whether to shout or to laugh, so she ended up making an embarrassing noise that sounded like a cross between a cough and a snort.

"What…?"

"…You heard me."

Cliff fixed his steely gaze upon the floor around their feet, not daring to look Claire in the eye, and the girl faltered at the intensity she could glimpse in his eyes. "...Strange things happen around this town… unnatural things. I've noticed it ever since I first visited here a few years ago."

Claire blinked. "Wh-what kind of things?"

Cliff shuffled awkwardly in his seat. "…Well, I think Mineral Town is… cursed. I don't know. But I have heard stories… And I've seen things that I… I can't even begin to explain."

Claire stared at him, feeling quite stupid. "What… what are you talking about?"

He leaned closer, his brown eyes shyly meeting Claire's own blue ones for just a split second, nothing more. His voice came out in barely a whisper. "Well… let's just say that something is not quite right around here. Strange sounds. The feeling that you're being watched, when you're walking the road alone at night… Sometimes, chickens and livestock are found dead, their remains bloody and mauled to pieces. It… it's not normal, it's not natural."

"But… why are you telling me this?" Claire whispered back.

"Because… well, you're new around here, and… I guess… someone needs to tell you the truth before you find out for yourself… the hard way."

And with one final sympathetic glance, Cliff turned and left, leaving Claire alone on the church pew. Looking down at her fork and barely touched cheesecake, she suddenly didn't feel very hungry anymore, and pushed the plate away.

Carter approached her as she stood up. "Well, Claire, it looks like our little party is coming to an end! I'm so glad you could make it today, and I hope you had an enjoyable time! Please, feel free to come visit the church anytime, and may the Harvest Goddess be with you!"

Claire was gone almost as soon as Carter had finished speaking, mulling things over as she traveled the streets of Mineral Town back to her farm.

And now, sitting at home with her puppy on her lap, these thoughts still hadn't left her.

_First the mayor, then the old man Barley, and now this whole thing with Cliff? He seemed like a nice guy at first, a bit quiet if anything, but that conversation was just… not normal_…_ Oh yeah, and that weird little thing May told me, about the noises at night. As a matter of fact, those guys at the party, Ann and Elli and Trent, were acting pretty suspicious too, if you ask me. _

_Huh… what the hell is going on around here?_

With one quick glance at the grandfather clock on the back wall, Claire saw that it was going on seven o'clock, and her stomach growled right on cue. She hadn't eaten much at all today, and there was barely any food in the house, but it wasn't too late.

After a moment's pause, and another grumble of the stomach, Claire decided to grab a quick meal at the Inn, seeing as she had no other options. The food there was supposed to be great, anyway, and maybe that girl Ann would be there.

She set Bailey down on the floor, gave him a gentle loving pat on the head, and slipped on her favorite sneakers before stepping outside and locking the door behind her. Making sure her house key was nestled safely in her front pocket, Claire ran a hand through her hair and briskly strode off in the direction of the Inn.

* * *

It was a warm spring evening, and a soft breeze rustled through the trees as she hurried down the brick road past the blacksmith's shop, turning the corner at Aja Winery.

Claire passed the rows of grapevines and headed toward the large white building next door, which she remembered to be the Inn, and pushed open the heavy wooden door. As she stepped inside, she was immediately embraced by a multitude of heavenly aromas- the warm scent of cinnamon apples and home cooked meals, and the faint musky fragrance of wine.

Scanning the room, Claire glimpsed the winery owner, Duke, sitting at a table near the back wall, drinking wine with an old bearded man she didn't recognize. At a closer table, she noticed the blacksmith's apprentice, Gray, sitting alone, stabbing at a plate of curry rice. He didn't look up as she entered the Inn.

Claire stepped up to the long wooden counter at the back of the room to place her order. Ann was nestled behind the counter, her legs tucked up on the chair she was seated at, looking rather glum as she twirled her long braid between her fingers in boredom. However, the brunette instantly perked up as Claire approached.

"Ah, hello… Claire? Yes, Claire! Thanks for coming! What can I get for you?"

Claire skimmed through the menu in front of her. "Hmm… I'm not really sure, what would you recommend?"

Ann pondered for a bit. "Well… I personally like my dad's stew the best, but everything on the menu is really good, trust me! Especially the desserts!"

"I guess I'll go with the stew then… and, uh, could I get a glass of milk to go with it?"

"Of course! That will be 500G. It'll be ready real soon, so you can go ahead and sit down anywhere you like." She gestured at the surrounding tables. "I'll bring it right out to you when it's done."

"Okay!" Claire handed her the money. "Thanks, Ann!"

"No problem!" Ann left through the door behind the counter, into the kitchen, and Claire wandered over to the table where Gray sat alone. Hesitating, she sat down at the chair directly opposite him.

Gray looked up at once, raising an eyebrow. "Can I… _help _you?"

"Oh, um… no… I just thought you looked a bit lonely…?" She trailed off at the look Gray was giving her, and instantly regretted her decision.

However, Gray merely mumbled "whatever" and continued to stab at his curry rice with a fork, taking occasional bites.

"Well, here's your stew, and I've got your milk right here! Please enjoy!" Ann had appeared out of nowhere and placed a steaming bowl of thick stew and a glass of milk on the table, along with a spoon and napkin.

Claire quickly thanked her and dug in without hesitation. The stew was warm and hearty, filled with potatoes and carrots, and she savored every bite.

She had just finished eating when the door opened and Karen entered the Inn, her hair disheveled from the wind outside. She quickly ran her hand through her hair in an attempt to tame it, and then sauntered over to the seat beside Claire.

"You don't mind if I sit here, do you?"

"Of course not," Claire responded, while Gray only shrugged indifferently.

Karen sat down, and Ann scurried over. "The usual, I presume?"

Karen nodded, and Ann turned to Claire while picking up the used tableware. "Anything else for you, Claire? A dessert, perhaps?"

"Sure… could I just have a slice of apple pie? Thank you so much."

As Ann turned away, Karen leaned over toward Claire, her tone lightly conversational. "So, how do you like Mineral Town so far? You know, since you just moved here and all?"

"Well… it's okay, I guess. A lot quieter than the city, but the farm is nice and big. Lots of empty space. And the atmosphere is… nice."

She went into her plans for Sunshine Farm until Ann returned, balancing a plate of apple pie in one hand and clutching several bottles of wine in the other. She handed the pie to Claire and set the bottles on the table in front of Karen, who promptly uncorked the nearest one and began to gulp it down, straight from the bottle.

Surprised, Claire turned to Ann, but the brunette simply rolled her eyes and took a seat on Claire's other side. "Don't ask. Anyway, I've been working for hours, so I think I deserve a break. Dad won't mind."

"Oh… okay!" Claire said while Karen helped herself to more wine.

"I have to say, your dad's cooking is really good! This pie is delicious, and the stew was amazing!"

"Thanks!" Ann beamed. "Dad really is a great chef, and he's been teaching me some of his cooking skills. In fact, the Cooking Festival was just last week, and we both entered in the contest. Dad won of course, but I wasn't far behind! It's too bad you missed it, I love that festival, but there's always next year, I guess."

"Yeah… it does sound like fun."

Claire and Ann continued to chitchat, as Karen drank through her bottles of wine, occasionally taking part in the conversation.

The blonde farmer finished up her slice of pie and patted her stomach comfortably. "Mmm… Ann, that was really great!" She dug out her wallet.

"How much do I owe you?"

Ann giggled. "Don't worry about it! Consider it on the house, all right?"

"Really? You sure?"

The brunette nodded. "It's no problem."

Claire smiled in genuine gratitude. "Wow, thanks Ann! I owe you one!"

She gave a quick glance around the table, and noted that Gray was nowhere to be seen- he must have already left while the girls were distracted. Karen, meanwhile, was drunkenly slumped in her chair.

"Umm… Ann?"

Ann saw what the problem was and chuckled. "Not again… Don't worry Claire, she'll be fine. It happens sometimes; she just needs to sleep it off. Could you help me carry her into my room?"

Claire nodded and grabbed Karen's arm. Ann took hold of the other arm, and together they dragged Karen past the kitchen and into Ann's bedroom, where they dropped her into the extra bed. Karen lay facedown on the bedspread, snoring loudly, and the other two girls quickly backed out of the room with their hands over their mouths in an unsuccessful attempt to stifle their giggles.

When they returned to the Inn's main dining room, Claire noticed that the room was completely devoid of life- all the other customers had gone, and the tables were now empty. It had to have been pretty late.

What time _was_ it?

"Ten o'clock! Thank you for everything, Ann, but I really need to be getting back to the farm!"

Ann glanced at the clock on the wall nervously. "Um… that might not be such a good idea… maybe you should just spend the night here with me and Karen."

"No, I'm sorry, but I really have to get home…"

Ann tried to argue, but Claire wouldn't hear it. She called goodbye and turned out the door, leaving the innkeeper's daughter anxious and alone.

* * *

The wind had picked up, and it whipped at her hair and clothes as Claire trudged down the street silently. The night was so quiet, but for her own footsteps on the pavement and the sound of the wind in the trees, that every other miniscule noise set her on edge. A snapping branch sounded like a gunshot to her ears, and the sudden hoot of an owl in the distance caused her to flinch involuntarily.

It was so quiet, but the silence was deafening.

The moon was a huge, glowing orb among the ominous clouds in the night sky, and Claire vaguely noted that it was almost full. Almost, because the sphere of silver light wasn't _quite_ a full circle yet.

And then she heard it- footsteps. They weren't her own.

Claire's footsteps were fast-moving, and quickened with every other step, but these new footsteps were too slow. Slow, but steady. And _heavy_- as if some giant _thing_ were stalking her down the lane.

Nervously, Claire stopped walking and whipped around, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Only an empty road bathed in pockets of moonlight and dark shadow. The footsteps had stopped, and Claire was alone on the street.

All alone.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she continued on down the road. She had probably been imagining it, anyway.

Passing by a large clump of woods, Claire tried her best not to look over into the trees. She kept seeing movements out of the corner of her eyes, most likely her overly tired mind playing tricks on her. The night was full of shadows, dark forms that stretched across the road and through the trees, sending Claire's imagination into overdrive.

And then, there it was. A large pair of gleaming yellow eyes, staring directly at her from the cover of the trees.

Stifling a scream, Claire felt her heartbeat speed up in panic, and tried to calm down. It was probably just a harmless animal, a raccoon or something like that, right? _Right?_

Fear overtook her, and Claire broke into a run, her feet slapping loudly against the pavement. Behind her, she heard a rustle in the trees, and then the sound of heavy footsteps began, growing ever closer. She was being pursued.

Immediately, Claire picked up speed. It had to be _right_ behind her.

Finally, Claire came upon the path to her farm, and she darted toward the front door of her cottage. Her body slammed against the door, and she could feel Bailey jumping against the other side, his frenzied barking echoing in her ears.

Frantically, Claire dug around in her pockets for the house key she had stored there. Her fingers met only fabric, and her eyes widened. _What the hell!_ _Where is it?_

A quick search of the other pocket offered the same results.

Claire panicked, and hysterically bent down to search the ground around her. Had the key fallen out while she was running, perhaps? She got on her hands and knees to get a better look, her fingers rifling through the dirt without success as her mind screamed curses. _Oh, shit! Shit shit shit!_

Suddenly, she saw the faintest glimmer of light on the ground to her right, and whipped around to spot her house key lying in the dirt, its coppery surface reflecting the silver light of the moon. Without hesitation, Claire grabbed up the key and shoved it into the keyhole, rattling the doorknob around until the door finally swung open with one final push.

She darted inside without a second thought and slammed the door behind her, locking it securely, and then collapsed onto the bed with Bailey at her heels. Her breath came out in rattled gasps. She was safe for now.

Claire shuddered as she recalled the last thing she had seen before slamming the door shut- an enormous dark shape with reflecting gold eyes, watching her from the farm entrance. Motionless. Waiting.

She sat in that position for what seemed like hours, huddled on the bed with her arms wrapped around her knees, unable to move, unable to think, Bailey curled protectively at her side until sleep finally overtook her.

* * *

**A/N: So yeah, this chapter contained a flashback to Claire's earlier conversation with Cliff. Also, I wrote that last scene rather quickly, so hopefully it came out alright. **

**Just a little reminder that my updates on this story will be a bit slow, as my schedule is absolutely **_**packed**_** these days. Don't worry though, I'll aim for at least one update a week, especially since I've finished my other story, "Cucumber." That one is a Claire x Kappa fic, so check it out if you like. :)**

**Thank you, and please review!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	4. Eavesdropping

Chapter 4: Eavesdropping

Claire awoke in a daze. Her thin blonde hair was tangled and matted to her forehead with sweat, and she had fallen asleep in her clothes from the previous day, which were now crumpled and wrinkly in various places. She cringed- she probably looked awful this morning.

As soon as he saw her lift her head from the pillow, Bailey charged over and leaped onto the bed, preparing to shower Claire with wet puppy kisses. Claire, not in the mood for a slobber bath, gently pushed him away and untangled herself from the mess of blankets before rising from the bed, stifling a huge yawn.

She struggled to recall the events of the night before, and with a stab of fear, she remembered everything- the walk home from the Inn, the footsteps that followed her, the huge shadowy figure with the glowing eyes.

Suppressing the sudden wave of nausea that overtook her, Claire staggered over to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Hopefully, a steaming bath would make her feel better and calm her nerves, relax her mind. Taking a moment to glance into the mirror, Claire flinched at her blonde rat's nest of hair and pale face, dark circles under her eyes from a restless sleep.

_Maybe it was all just a bad dream…? Yes, that's it, I was only imagining things…could have been something I ate._

She didn't really believe it herself, but perhaps it was better to just push the uneasy memory out of her mind, rather than dwell on it until it drove her insane. There were other things to worry about; important things that needed to be taken care of if Claire was to run her own farm successfully. She ran through the list of errands in her mind as the warm bathwater spread across her bare skin.

_I'll definitely need to visit the supermarket for groceries, and I can buy seeds while I'm there… and the clinic is right next door, so maybe I'll visit Elli and Trent on the way back… Elli seemed nice. And then I have to go see Barley about buying livestock…_

After bathing and changing into fresh clothes, Claire was feeling much better as she took a minute to brush her teeth, and blow dried her blonde hair into place. Her schedule for the day was all planned out, and the bad memory had drifted to the back of her mind for now.

She fed Bailey and grabbed an apple for breakfast before slinging her old rucksack over her shoulder and heading outside. Over at the stable, Claire supplied Thunder with fresh hay and water, and brushed his mane with the animal brush that Barley had given her, which she had stored on a shelf with the young horse's saddle and other tack. He whinnied in appreciation, and Claire just had to smile.

Finally, she was ready to set back out into the village.

* * *

Claire decided to stop over at Jeff and Sasha's supermarket first- she desperately needed some food in her house, and wanted to get planting her seeds as soon as possible.

The supermarket was an average sized building located just between the Mineral Town Clinic and the mayor's house. Inside, the shelves were stocked with various food items- fruits and vegetables, baked goods, dairy products- while packets of seeds stood in a prominent display in the center of the store. Over in the corner, the store owner, Jeff, sat at the cash register, but he stood up as Claire entered the room.

"Ahem… how may I help you, miss?"

"Um… I just needed to get some groceries… and then I was thinking of buying seeds? You know, for the farm?"

Jeff nodded and handed her a shopping basket. "Oh yes, you're the new farmer! Claire, right? Over at that old Sunshine Farm? Well, go ahead and look around, and then I can assist you with the seeds."

Claire smiled and turned to the shelves of food, picking out a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, a carton of eggs, various fruits and vegetables, rice balls, and other necessary cooking items. Stopping to look at a display of candy bars, she glanced around and then snatched up a bar of chocolate, tucking it away into her basket before approaching the seeds display.

Jeff followed her over to the display. "So… what were you planning on growing?"

"Uh… truthfully, I have no idea," Claire admitted.

The black-haired shopkeeper scratched his head, thinking. "Well, I'm no farmer, but I'm pretty sure turnips are an easy crop to grow for beginners."

He plucked a few packets of turnip seeds off the shelf and handed them to Claire, who nodded and placed them in her basket as he continued.

"And... perhaps some potatoes? Or cucumbers?"

_"Jeffrey!"_

Claire jumped, and Jeff's face paled at the shrill female voice that accosted them. Their conversation had been interrupted by his wife, Sasha, who had just stormed out from the back room, frowning in disapproval. Apparently, she had been watching the two of them.

"_What_ are you doing, exactly?"

Jeff cringed. "I… I'm just helping Claire out with her shopping!"

Sasha rolled her eyes. "By selling her _spring_ seeds? Summer is only two days away! There's no time to grow spring crops, you should_ know_ that! The summer heat will kill them- they'll be of no use until spring of _next_ year!"

She turned to grab some packets of various seeds off the shelf, pushing them into Claire's hands. "Here… _these_ are summer seeds, dear… tomatoes, corn, and onions. They're all popular summer crops."

Slightly baffled, Claire thanked Sasha for her assistance, and allowed an embarrassed Jeff to check her out at the register before hurrying out the door, her shopping bags stuffed into her rucksack.

_Dear Goddess… they were a bit of an odd couple._

Shaking her head, she turned to enter the clinic next door, not bothering to knock.

"Hello?"

The clinic was silent. A desk stood at the back of the room, its surface littered with assorted papers and a cup full of pens and pencils. The chair behind it sat empty.

Cautiously, Claire stepped forward into the room, glancing around for signs of life.

"Hello... uh, Elli? You there?"

She heard a murmuring coming from a room behind the desk, beyond a door that had been left slightly ajar. Carefully, Claire set out to investigate, treading around the desk lightly and settling herself against the far wall, just out of sight of the doorway.

Two people were talking in the room on the other side of the door. Claire could hear two distinct voices- the voices of Elli and Dr. Trent.

She knew that what she was about to do was wrong, in a way, but she couldn't help herself. Claire had always been an inquisitive spirit, although her curiosity had often gotten her into trouble. She leaned in closer.

"So... did you check up on Lillia today? Rick told me yesterday that she wasn't doing so well as of late." That was Elli.

"Hmm... yes. She's definitely gotten worse, I'd say. I just can't understand it. Sometimes she seems normal, almost, and then the other half of the time she's practically on her deathbed. It's frustrating."

Claire was startled by the coldness in Trent's voice, and she listened closer as he continued. "I brought her another dose of the usual medicines, not that it does much good." A pause. "...How is your grandmother?"

"Oh, Grandma Ellen? She's doing all right... you know, for her age." Elli sighed. "It's only expected, really. Unfortunately, one can't be young and fit forever. Though she did tell me the pain medications have been helping somewhat."

Claire took a chance and peeked into the room, holding her breath. The doctor, Trent, sat at a large desk, writing something down in a notebook. Elli stood beside the desk, her dress swaying slightly around her ankles as she watched him write.

For a long moment, there was silence, but for the scribblings of the doctor's pen. Eventually, Elli spoke up with a hint of uncertainty in her voice, as if unsure of how Trent would react to what she was about to say.

"You know, Doctor, I, uh, heard something outside the clinic last night. You remember how I was working late yesterday, finishing up those extra orders of turbojolt you wanted?"

The scribblings stopped. "…You what?"

"Well, I was sitting at the front desk with the orders, and then stepped into your office for a moment to take stock, when I heard something outside the window... it sounded like, well,..." She trailed off, speaking so quietly that Claire could no longer hear her.

There was another, very pregnant pause, and then Trent spoke up, his voice wavering somewhat. "I'm sorry, Elli. I... I've probably been overworking you. You can... you can take off work early tonight."

"But... but Trent, you _know-_"

Just then, Claire had the urge to sneeze. Frantically, she attempted to muffle the sound with her shirt sleeve, but it was too late.

Elli whipped around at the sudden noise, and Trent glanced up from his paperwork. Both looked vaguely shocked.

"Claire...?"

Flustered, Claire made an attempt to defend herself. "I... I was just... uh, I-"

Elli giggled, breaking the awkwardness of the moment. Trent, meanwhile, gave Elli a meaningful look and rose from his desk, striding over to address Claire.

"Are you all right, Claire? You're not sick, or hurt or anything?"

"Oh, um... no. I'm perfectly fine. I... I just came to visit."

"Oh..." The doctor looked relieved. "Well, that's good."

For a split second, Claire considered asking what they had been talking about before her untimely interruption, but then realized the absurdity of that idea. She had been _eavesdropping_, after all.

It was better to just ignore that small detail. Most people don't take eavesdropping on private conversations too kindly.

She made an attempt to smile as if nothing had happened. "So, Elli... are you busy right now? I thought maybe we could talk or something... you know, if that's alright with you, Doctor."

Dr. Trent waved them off, shaking his head and muttering. "Girls and their _chitchat_..." He went back to his paperwork, and Claire and Elli took it upon themselves to leave the room.

Elli laughed as they entered the main foyer. "Oh, Trent... he's normally much friendlier, but we've just been so much busier lately... he's such a hard worker, but sometimes the work gets to him, you know?"

There was a certain twinkle in her eye as she said this, and Claire got the feeling that Elli liked Trent as a lot more than just a coworker and friend.

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, I understand."

The two girls began to chitchat aimlessly, until the memories of last night worked their way back into Claire's mind. With a sudden feeling of dread, Claire made the decision to confront Elli about it.

"Um, Elli... I-I have something I want to tell you. Something..._strange_ happened last night, and I just..."

Elli's eyes widened, and she then motioned for Claire to continue. The blonde girl cleared her throat awkwardly before telling her story, the tale of the footsteps that followed her home from the Inn, the yellow eyes that watched her, the huge figure of shadow and darkness.

Claire hoped that Elli could explain things to her, maybe even tell her what she had told Dr. Trent, but Elli simply sat there, dumbfounded.

"Well... Claire, ah, perhaps you were just... imagining it? I mean, it seems pretty far-fetched, if you ask me..."

Claire nodded, and pretended to shrug it off, though the memory still tugged at her mind. "Haha, yeah... you're probably right on this one, Elli. I _do_ have a pretty active imagination, yeah..."

She glanced over at the clock on the wall and feigned surprise. "Oh, Elli... look at the time! I really have to get going, have a lot of errands to run today... seeds to plant. I-I'll see you around, and tell Trent I said goodbye, all right?"

Elli nodded cheerfully as Claire headed for the door, intent on visiting Barley over at Yodel Ranch. "Okay, Claire! Come back anytime you like!"

The brunette had acted completely clueless when Claire told her the story. And yet, Claire had seen the slightest flicker of recognition that passed through Elli's eyes, before it was replaced by a look of concern.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the late update, but I have some important papers due for school and I wanted to focus on them. This was kind of a filler chapter, but it was necessary. The next chapter will have a lot more action in it, I promise! And, reviews are always helpful!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	5. Not Your Fault

**A/N: I **_**finally**_** got around to updating! And I just want to thank Crimrose4all for all the awesome reviews so far, it's really encouraging!**

**As for our protagonist in this story, Claire: she notices all these creepy things happening in Mineral Town since she moved there, but doesn't want to believe any of it. Part of her thinks she's just paranoid and is only imagining the strange words and reactions of the other villagers. But then there are some things she can't explain so easily, like the huge figure she saw the night after her dinner at the Inn. And, of course, the event that occurs in this chapter right here, haha.**

**Anyway, that's all I have to say for now, so read on! Warning: expect gore in this chapter. Though I don't think it's **_**too**_** bad, but still. Better safe than sorry, I guess.**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

* * *

Chapter 5: Not Your Fault

After dropping her groceries off at home and fixing herself a fruit sandwich for lunch, Claire headed down the road to Yodel Ranch. The ranch had such a tranquil atmosphere, with all the cows and sheep grazing peacefully in the fields, that Claire was feeling almost giddy, and she hummed to herself as she approached the house where Barley and his little granddaughter May lived.

As soon as she opened the front door, a small blur of black and red came hurtling into her, gripping her around the waist in a surprisingly tight hug.

"Oompf... May?"

The little girl giggled, still clinging to the blonde farmer.

"Claire! You came to visit!"

Claire couldn't help but smile at the joy etched on May's face. "Ahaha, yeah... actually, I came to buy an animal. Is your grandpa here?"

Just then, the old man came shuffling down the stairs from his room. "Ah, Claire... I thought I heard your voice! May, let go of her please. She's a guest, not a jungle gym."

May nodded and instantly let go of Claire's abdomen, while her grandfather chuckled and turned to shake Claire's hand in greeting. "So, Claire... what can I do for you on this fine day?"

"Hmm... well, I was thinking about buying an animal or two for the farm, but I'm not sure whether to get a cow or a sheep." She grinned apologetically. "What would you recommend?"

Barley paused in thought for a moment. "Well, that could be a difficult decision. Cows are more expensive, of course, but they give milk every day, whereas you can only shear the wool off a sheep every once in a while. Truthfully, I think it's up to you."

Claire narrowed her eyes, making a quick decision as she watched May kneel down to stroke the small brown dog that lay asleep on the kitchen floor.

"Cow, then. After all, I do enjoy a nice glass of milk every once in a while. And it would be cool to just walk outside and get my own, haha."

Barley chuckled. "All right, sounds good! I'll bring the cow over tomorrow morning, if that's fine with you. It'll be... 5,000G. I hope that's acceptable?"

Claire winced slightly and pulled out her wallet, shuffling through until she had gathered up enough gold, which she handed to the old man. Her savings from her old job in the city were quickly diminishing.

"Good, good! Don't worry, it'll all pay off in the end! I have just the right cow for a beginner such as yourself! She's a sweet thing, gentle and easygoing, so she should be perfect for you!"

He glanced around and then continued. "Just so you know, most new ranchers start out with a chicken or two, and _then_ move on to the larger livestock, cows and sheep. Chickens are much cheaper, and they give eggs every day, so it's a good deal. However, I don't keep chickens at my ranch- if you're looking to buy one, you're going to have to head down the road to the Poultry Farm. It's right next door- you can't miss it. In fact, you probably passed it on the way here, now that I think of it."

Claire nodded in appreciation. "Thanks! That sounds like a really good idea, actually."

"So... still want that cow?"

"Oh, yeah... I mean, the chickens are a great idea, but a cow would be really useful too! And I think I can handle both... At least, I'll try." She shrugged her shoulders, and Barley chuckled.

"Okay, I believe you! You seem to be a rather capable girl, if I must say so myself." He grinned. "It's been a pleasure doing business with ya, Claire! Come again anytime you like!"

Claire nodded, and May piped up from her spot on the ground. "Yeah, then you can come play with me! We could play hide and seek, or tag, or-"

The blonde smiled. "Sounds good, May."

Still stroking her dog, the little girl nodded happily in response as the blonde farmer turned to leave out the door.

"Bye Claire! Thanks for comin'!"

* * *

As she approached the Poultry Farm five minutes later, Claire caught sight of a girl sitting underneath the tree beside the farmhouse, reading a book, and recognized her instantly as Popuri. She didn't know of a single person with hair as vivid pink as hers, and the name was pretty unusual too.

Popuri glanced up as soon as she heard Claire's footsteps, and casually tossed her book to the side. "Hiya there! Uh, it's Claire, right?"

The blonde nodded, and Popuri bounced up from her position beneath the tree.

"Cool! Um, did you just come to talk, or..."

"Well, actually, I came to buy a chicken..." Claire glanced around at the chicken-less yard, and her voice faltered. "Um...well, Barley at Yodel Ranch told me that you sell chickens here..."

Popuri nodded enthusiastically. "You bet we do!"

Claire raised an eyebrow. "So...where are the chickens, then?"

The pink haired girl snorted and pointed toward a cluster of enormous chicken coops, which Claire had not noticed originally. "Over there, silly! They're inside!"

"Oh...right."

Popuri leaned in closer. "You wanna see them? They're _sooo_ cute! And I can show you the chickies that are for sale, so then you can pick out the one you like best! I was just about to go and feed them, anyway, so you can join me! They're probably really hungry by now, poor things."

"Okay!"

The two girls walked over to the large henhouses in the corner of the yard, Popuri bouncing with each step and chatting aimlessly as Claire simply listened. She was still rambling on as they came to the nearest henhouse. Strangely enough, the door was wide open.

"And anyway, Rick sa- oh, shoot! Who left the door open? The chickies could get out!"

Before Claire could utter a single word, Popuri was through the door. Almost immediately, the former's ears were met with a piercing shriek, and Claire dashed inside.

"Popuri, wha-"

She was stopped mid-sentence by the gruesome sight that unfolded before her eyes. An overpowering stench abruptly clogged up her nose, and she gagged, feeling nauseous.

It was the stench of blood.

"Oh... Oh my Goddess..."

The dirt floor of the henhouse was littered with mangled bodies. Not human bodies, but the bodies of chickens. Chickens that had been viciously mauled until they barely resembled anything but grotesque lumps of flesh, their innards scattered unceremoniously about the floor amid large clumps of white feathers. The blood was soaked into the surrounding dirt, and splattered the walls in a sickening fashion.

Claire coughed, fighting to hold in her recent lunch, as the disgusting stench filled her nose until it was a struggle to simply breathe.

Popuri merely stood still, shell-shocked, her arms pressed against her sides. After a few seconds, she spoke, her voice barely reaching a whisper.

"...Chickie Poo? H-Henrietta? ...Sunny, Omlette,...No, not-Clementine? Oh, _no_..."

She paced the room, staring down at the bodies of her beloved chickens in disbelief. Her voice became increasingly higher pitched as she collapsed beside the remains of the smallest chicken, tears now streaming freely down her face.

"C-Clem...Clementine... no, it_, no..." _

She turned to face Claire, who was overwhelmed by pity for the girl, but had no idea what to do for her. She wanted to comfort Popuri more than anything, but was at a complete loss for words, and the scene of the massacre was making her feel sick.

Suddenly, a bespectacled young man dashed into the chicken coop, an apron flapping about his knees. _Rick._

Popuri, what- I heard you scream-" He stopped.

"Holy... what in the_ hell_ happened?"

Popuri jumped up and ran over to her brother, throwing her arms around him. Her shaking sobs were muffled by his shirt as she buried her face in his shoulder. Rick tried to comfort her by patting her pink hair soothingly, and his eyes widened in shock as he surveyed the scene.

For a second, however, Claire thought she saw another emotion in his face, before it was replaced by a look of utter repulsion. Something that looked an awfully lot like recognition, understanding.

And fear.

After about a minute, Popuri lifted her head, her eyes swollen and bloodshot from crying, not bothering to wipe the tears that still flowed freely from them. "Rick? Who..._what _could have done this? _W-Why_?"

Rick's face was expressionless as he replied blandly, "I don't know. Popuri...the other chickens..."

He pointed to the corner, where a group of survivors were huddled together in fear, nearly out of sight. Instantly, Popuri pulled back and approached the chickens with caution, whispering their names soothingly.

"Here, Bianca, Ch-Cheyenne… H-Henny Pen… Penny..." Her voice wavered as she stifled another sob.

Rick, meanwhile, glanced around the room to assess the damage. He looked over at Claire, and the blonde girl was slightly surprised to see the deep level of hurt in his eyes as he fought back tears.

"Claire... I-I'm so, _so_ sorry you had to see this..."

Claire could hardly speak. Her throat felt scratchy as she whispered back, "I...It-It's fine."

Rick's expression hardened. "No, it's _not_ fine. This is not fine!"

Frustrated, he gestured at the mess around them, and tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. Claire could barely hear him when he spoke again.

"I can't believe I let this happen...My poor sister, my chickens...Dear Harvest Goddess, I-I need to get out. I need to check on- check on my mother."

He turned to leave, and sighed.

"It's all my fault."

Claire threw out her arm to stop him, her mind set. "This is _not_ your fault, Rick. I don't know who, or what, could have done...done _this,_ but it's _not _your fault."

He stared at Claire, sadness reflected in his eyes. "I...I could have prevented this."

"_No_, how could _you_ have prevented this? It has nothing to do with you, it- Rick, I've _seen_ things around town, it-"

Rick interrupted her. "No... trust me, Claire, this _is _my fault."

Claire made to take his hand, sensing that he needed a hug, at the very least, but Rick roughly pushed her away and turned to stomp out the door without another word.

"Claire..." Popuri spoke up softly from the back of the chicken coop, one of the small white birds nestled in her arms, "it's really not Rick's fault. It-it's mine. I...I must have forgotten to close the henhouse door after I checked on the chickens last night, I-"

"Popuri... it's not anyone's fault, okay? Not anyone's fault but the _monster_ who did this. I...I'm going to solve this mystery."

Popuri nodded, sniffling. "I'm sorry, Claire, but...I'm afraid you'll have to come back another day for your chicken."

"I understand. And...and if you ever need anything, I'm always around."

"Thanks."

Together, the two girls headed out the door into the yard, savoring the fresh air. Rick was nowhere to be seen.

"I...I should go alert the mayor and Officer Harris... And Zack, he'll want to hear about this." The pink haired girl grabbed Claire's hand and squeezed it in farewell, before they went their separate ways.

And Claire was left alone with even more disturbing images burned into her mind, as well as a huge mystery to solve.

* * *

Later on in the evening, as she sat at her table sorting packets of summer seeds, Bailey asleep at her feet, the young blonde farmer was overwhelmed by these very thoughts.

_I still don't know what that thing was I saw the other night. And I have no idea what happened at the Poultry Farm...Do I even _want_ to know?_

She sighed. _Goddess, if only chickens could talk._ They_ saw their attacker. They're the only witnesses we have._

Feeing a sudden burst of anger and frustration, Claire roughly slapped a packet of tomato seeds down on the tabletop.

_Are these two events related in any way? And, if so, how? _She shoved the pile of tomato seed packets away from her, and moved on to the onions.

_...Who can I even talk to about this? Maybe..._ She racked her brain, sorting through her brief memories of her past few days in Mineral Town. _Gray, Ann, Karen, Elli, Trent..._ Finally, her thoughts landed on the memory of a certain conversation from Carter's welcoming party at the church. _Maybe... Cliff?_

Sighing, Claire gave up on her seed sorting. She couldn't concentrate, and she had time to do it tomorrow, anyway. Right now, all she needed was a good night of sleep. However, after throwing on her favorite pair of polka-dotted pajamas and getting comfortable beneath the blankets, Claire lay awake in bed for hours before she could finally close her eyes.

The last thing she saw before falling asleep was the image of Popuri leaning over the bloody corpse of her beloved chicken, Clementine, wet tears streaming down her face.

* * *

**A/N: Who, or what, attacked the chickens at the Poultry Farm? And why does Rick consider it to be all his fault? So many questions! Ugh, and now I feel really bad for killing off Popuri's chickens. :'(**

**Also, I apologize for the late update- after today, I should be back on track! I'm planning on updating this story once a week, every weekend, since that's when I have the most free time to write. I have another story, "Birds of a Feather," that I should be updating much more frequently, since the chapters are short drabbles. Check it out if you like!**

**Anyway, thanks for reading as usual, and please leave a review!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	6. Wildfire

**A/N: Thank you, silentbunny17, The Altrox, and akihiko-senpai for the reviews! I really enjoyed reading your insight on the story, and predictions as to who the attacker is. :)**

**Of course, I already know exactly what happened and will happen in this story, but I like to see how close your guesses are! If I could, I would give the reader with the closest prediction a prize, but I don't see how I can over the Internet, haha.**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

* * *

Chapter 6: Wildfire

In less than a day, the news of the attack on the Poultry Farm had spread throughout Mineral Town like wildfire, no doubt with the help of local gossip, Manna. Popuri had alerted Mayor Thomas and Officer Harris to the attack, both of whom were appalled by the crime scene, and vowed to discover the culprit. She had also described it Zack, the man who controlled Mineral Town's shipping business. He was a friend of the family, and had been very distressed at the news.

Someone must have accidentally leaked the information on to the town's gossip, Manna, who discussed it with Sasha and Anna at their usual gossip circle in the town square, who then told their respective families, who then let everyone else in town know about the attack. Though honestly, there was no keeping news as big as _this_ from Manna once it happened.

Meanwhile, back on Sunshine Farm, Claire awoke to the sound of someone rapping urgently on her front door. Bailey began barking excitedly, and Claire sleepily got out of bed to answer the call, wrapping a fluffy pink bathrobe around her body in the process.

She yawned as the door swung open. "Aaaaahh...Hello?"

"Claire!"

Claire's visitor was none other than her elderly neighbor Barley, along with his usual lively young granddaughter. The old man shook his head at her disapprovingly.

"It's already ten thirty in the morning, and you're not even up yet? That's going to have to change real soon- farmers wake up at the crack of dawn!"

Claire winced. "Ten thirty? I-I'm really sorry... I've just been... _busy_... lately. It won't happen again."

Barley chuckled. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. _But_ you're going to be a whole lot busier once you get this farm running in tip-top shape, so you better get used to it!"

_Well, that's just great. _Stifling a sigh, Claire glanced over Barley's shoulder, and that's when she spotted it. The elderly man was tugging a cow behind him on a makeshift rope leash- a good-sized, brown and white spotted cow that stood chewing the lawn contentedly. Claire squealed at the sight.

"Is-Is that _mine_?"

Barley nodded. "Of course! Here, let's take her out to the barn, and I'll show you how to care for her."

Claire bit her lip. "Um... could you hold on a moment? I... kinda need to get dressed." She gestured toward her pink bathrobe and bare feet, and Barley nodded again.

"All right. We'll be out in the barn waiting."

Claire rushed inside and got dressed, then hurriedly darted out across the yard to the old barn next to Thunder's stable. She hadn't dared to enter the barn before now, fearing the probable mess she would find, but once inside, Claire found that it wasn't nearly as bad as she had expected. The barn was relatively clean, and there were stalls against the wall and feed bins for the livestock. Barley stood at the center of the room with the cow and May, who was petting the bovine happily.

"Claire! There you are! Now, I must explain how to care for your new cow!"He stared at her. "You do know how to milk a cow, right?"

Claire shook her head regretfully, and Barley sighed. "Here." He gestured toward a device in the corner. "That there's a milker we brought over for you. You just have to strap it to on to the cow's udders."

Claire held back an immature giggle, and Barley frowned before continuing. "You should be able to figure it out. And be sure to brush her every day, with the same brush you use for your horse."

He pointed toward the feed bin next to them. "This barn has lots of fodder in stock already, so every day you just have to make sure the bins are full. You can get the fodder over there-" He pointed toward a small door in the wall, then back at the feed bin. "This bin here is for the animals' fodder, but that long basin over there is for fresh water."

He brought their attention back to the cow itself. "Anyway... what would you like to name her?"

Claire thought for a moment. "How about... Bessie?"

Barley and May stared at her, and Claire blushed. "Um... Daisy? Er, no..." Just then, a certain disturbing memory popped back into her mind, and Claire caught sudden inspiration.

"How about... Clementine?"

Barley nodded. "That's better."

He glanced around the barn, then looked down at his granddaughter. "May... why don't you help Claire out and go pick some weeds out in the field? I'm sure she would appreciate the help."

May nodded gleefully. "Okay!" Barley turned toward Claire as the young girl skipped outside.

"So, Claire... I heard about the attack on the Poultry Farm."

Claire's face blanched. "How did you..."

"Everyone in town knows it, as you would know if you hadn't been sleeping the day away! That kind of news spreads like wildfire in a small town like this. So what happened, exactly?"

"Wait... what did you hear?"

"Only that a large number of chickens were brutally killed off in one of the henhouses. And that you and Popuri had been the ones to discover the massacre."

Claire bit her lip nervously. "Well, yeah... but I don't have anything new to say about it. I... I'd prefer not to talk about it, if that's all right."

The old man nodded. "I understand."

He abruptly headed toward the door, and looked back just before he exited the barn. "Goodbye, Claire... And I want you to _be careful_, ya hear? I don't want you to be next on the list."

Claire was left in silence after the heavy door slammed shut, and her stomach churned at the exchange that had occurred between them. Their conversation had been unsettling, at the very least. Suddenly, the idea she had formed yesterday worked its way back into her mind.

_I have to... I should go see Cliff. He might know something._

Claire gave her new cow a pat on the back and then headed outside, securely locking the barn door behind her before striding off in the direction of the Inn.

* * *

As soon as Claire stepped into the Inn, Ann quickly glanced up from her spot behind the counter. The innkeeper girl's eyes widened when she saw who it was, and she hesitated before rising from her chair and scurrying over.

"Claire! Did you hear wh-"

"_Yes_."

She must have said it a bit too aggressively, because Ann stepped back, looking slightly startled, and Claire immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, Ann. I'm just not having the best day so far."

Ann paused for a moment. "Well... I'm sure you know what happened to the Poultry Farm. Poor Popuri... I know how much she loves her chickens."

She leaned in closer, and spoke in a hurried whisper. "Claire... my father was talking to Duke last night, and apparently Duke told him that his wife heard you were there when the scene of the crime was discovered!"

Claire cringed at the memory. "Yeah, but I _seriously_ don't want to talk about it, okay?"

The brunette nodded apologetically, looking slightly sheepish. "I-I'm really sorry for bringing it up... just forget about it. So, what did you need?"

"I... well, actually, I was looking for Cliff. I know he stays at a room in the Inn. Is he here?"

Ann shook her head. "Nope, sorry. He should be working next door at the winery right now. Duke and Manna gave him a job there some time after he moved in, so you can just head over there and see for yourself."

Claire forced out a smile before turning to leave. "Thanks... I-I'll see you later then, Ann."

"Sure thing!"

Oh, how the farmer wished she could share Ann's cheery and confident disposition at times like these.

* * *

Just after Claire had left the Inn and turned toward Aja Winery, she spotted Cliff's familiar brown mane of hair in the field of grapevines, tied up in another ponytail. _How could I have missed him?_

Carefully, she stepped up to the short wooden fence that surrounded the vineyards and hopped over it in a single ungraceful leap, her jeans catching on one of the wood posts in the process. Cliff immediately glanced over at the sound. His face paled at the sight of the blonde farmer, but still he headed toward her to help untangle her from the fence, blushing all the while.

By the time she could stand up straight, Claire had a similar rosy tint to her cheeks. "Ahem... sorry about that."

Cliff nodded, not speaking, and an uncomfortable silence commenced.

"...So..."

Sensing that Cliff may very well just stand there blushing awkwardly all day, Claire decided that it was her duty to speak up first. "I...I just wanted to ask you... some things."

He stared at her. "Some things...?"

"I want to know more about these 'strange things' you told me about at the church the other day. This so-called 'curse' on Mineral Town."

Cliff winced at the memory. "I-I'm sorry for scaring you..."

Claire gave a hollow laugh. "_That's_ not what scares me. You didn't scare me. What scared me was the _thing_ that followed me home, and who, or what, murdered Popuri's chickens! What if it attacks my cow next? Or my dog, or my horse? Or _me_? What if a _human_ is the next victim on its list?"

Cliff looked utterly shocked. "It... It followed you _home_?"

The blonde nodded, and began to tell her story in a rush, words spilling freely from her lips as if it were a relief to let it all out. "I... I was walking home from the Inn late one night, and I heard these heavy footsteps behind me... I turned around, and nothing was there. But I heard rustling in the woods next to the road, and I thought I saw something moving around in there, and then I saw a pair of yellow eyes just _glaring_ at me through the trees. I-I freaked out, and started running, and I heard it following me... I dropped my key outside the house, but then I found it it and hurried inside, but before I closed the door, I saw this _thing_ just looking at me... Standing there and staring. _Waiting_. It was huge and black, with the same glowing eyes. That's all I could see."

"…And the chickens...?"

Claire shook her head firmly. "I won't talk about that. It... It was horrible."

The brown-haired man stood staring at her before responding quietly, "...All right. I... I'll tell you what I know."

He glanced around anxiously before speaking, hoping that he would not be overheard. "Duke and Manna have a daughter. Her name is Aja; they named the winery after her. But she moved away a few years ago, and nobody could really figure out _why_, exactly. Manna always said that Aja wanted more than what this little town could give her. But that's not the full story."

"How would you know?-"

"I... I'm very close with Manna and Duke. I'm almost like a son to them. And Manna told me that Aja moved away because... because she was attacked while walking home late at night. Manna said that Aja had been assaulted by a _creature_, something very similar to what you described, and that she wanted out as soon as possible. She... she was scared, you see. And afraid that nobody would believe her... that everyone would think she was crazy if she told her story. Immediately after, she was headed toward a hospital in the city, where she's stayed ever since. Duke didn't want to scare the townspeople with the real reason for Aja's departure, so he and Manna made up a story to explain it without freaking out the entire town."

Cliff picked at his vest nervously before continuing, "I think... I think something similar may have happened to Barley's daughter, Joanna. May's mother. I'm not sure though… She just moved away randomly, leaving her daughter behind, and Barley never really gave a reason for it."

He coughed. "Ahem... th-there isn't any real proof as to why Aja and Joanna left town, but there are some things we do know for sure."

Suddenly, Claire recalled her earlier conversation with Barley, and she passed this information on to Cliff, who narrowed his eyes in thought. "Barley..." His eyes widened as he remembered something.

"...A few months ago, there was a similar attack on Yodel Ranch. Barley must have left the barn door open one night on accident, because in the morning, he found three of his prized dairy cows slaughtered. It.. it shook up the entire town, so this new attack is not good."

He trailed off, and another idea formed in Claire's mind, one that greatly bothered her. _So animals have been killed, and there have been attacks on humans, but... has anyone...?_

"Cliff... were there any deaths? I mean, did any _people_ die?"

Claire felt a chill run down her spine as Cliff nodded his head 'yes.'

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was actually really easy to write. It would have been much longer, but I decided to break it up into two chapters instead. I did the same thing with Chapters 4 and 5, in fact. This way, the chapters are shorter, but I can update them faster (kind of). Gosh, this story has a lot of dialogue. **

**Anyway, I always thought that Bessie and Daisy were extremely generic names for cows, so that's why Barley and May just stare at Claire when she suggests those names. I mean, you **_**could**_** be a little more creative, Claire.**

**And obviously, there wasn't a real wildfire in this chapter, haha. The chapter is named after the way the news of the attack was spread so quickly around town.**

**If you like the story so far, please review! The next chapter should be up relatively soon!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	7. Paranoia

**A/N: **_**Finally**_** got this chapter up! Gosh, I hate being so busy during the week. Ah well, enjoy! And thanks for the great reviews, favorites, and follows! It really means a lot to me!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

* * *

Chapter 7: Paranoia

Claire stood staring at Cliff in shocked silence for a moment, before she finally regained the ability to speak. "Cliff... who-?"

The young man in front of her sighed heavily. "…You have to _promise_ not to talk about this to _anyone_, all right? Ann... she doesn't like to be reminded of it."

"Ann...?"

Cliff nodded sadly. "Ann's mother... years ago, she lived at the Inn with Doug and Ann. I... I talk to Ann a lot. She understands me. But one time, I accidentally brought up her mother in conversation... I asked about her, and Ann ran out of the room with tears in her eyes. After apologizing, I asked Doug about it, and he said... he said that his wife went missing... maybe eight years ago? She... she went out to the Hot Springs one evening, just a little into the woods, and never came back. She was never seen or heard from again... She- We think she was killed."

"By... By the monster?"

"Well... we don't know for sure, as there wasn't any evidence, but there's reason to suspect it... I mean, she loved her family very much, so her leaving on her own without a word is out of the question. Um... do you know Gotz, the carpenter? He lives in a cabin out in the woods, just beyond your farm?"

Claire nodded- she recalled seeing Gotz, a large, burly man with a bushy brown beard, at the church during her welcoming party.

"Gotz... he had a wife and daughter who were killed up on the mountain... Mother's Hill. This was years ago, even before Ann's mother went missing… It makes sense that these two events would be connected, somehow."

The blonde girl opened her mouth to ask a question, but Cliff interrupted her. "Claire... maybe it would be best to-to ask Gotz about it yourself… He knows a lot more about it than I do."

Cliff moved to turn away, but Claire stopped him. "Wait- if there have been attacks in this town, and people have even been _killed_, why don't you just, I don't know, move somewhere else?"

The young man shook his head sadly. "It's not that simple, Claire... it doesn't work like that. Mineral Town is _home_ to us. It's not easy to just pack up and leave everything you know... And the attacks are very few and far in between, overall."

Claire spoke up determinedly. "I... I'm going to figure out this mystery, Cliff, if it's the last thing I do."

Cliff refused to meet her resolute gaze. "Well... good luck."

"Don't you... Aren't you going to come see Gotz with me?"

He shook his head. "No... No, I think I've done enough." He turned to continue his work, harvesting grapes, and Claire interrupted him again.

"Cliff... have _you_ seen the creature?"

He glanced up to meet Claire's eyes, and gave a single brusque nod before returning to his work. The blonde, satisfied for now, gave up pressing him for information and left the vineyards- through the _gate_, this time.

Claire now knew the next step in solving the mystery.

_Well... I guess it's time to go meet Gotz._

* * *

Claire couldn't help but feel wary as she approached the cabin where Gotz lived. The forest gave her chills, especially after her unnerving experiences so far, and what Cliff had just told her. She stepped up to the front door, holding her breath, and knocked on it once, a single sound that echoed throughout the surrounding trees.

After a few seconds, the door burst open, and she found herself face to face with a large, bearded man. Claire flinched involuntarily, but the man smiled at her warmly and welcomed her inside with a wave of his hand. "Ah... you're the new farmer, aren't you? Well, come in, come in! ...The woods aren't always safe, you know."

Claire bobbed her head in greeting and stepped inside. To her faint surprise, the cabin was warm and nicely furnished, and had a very cozy feel to it. Gotz turned toward her.

"So... Claire, is it?"

She nodded, and Gotz urged her to take a seat. "I don't get all that many visitors, except the few people who want carpentry work done... What is it that you wanted?"

The blonde farmer bit her lip nervously. "I... I wanted to ask you something... it's very important."

Gotz took a seat in the chair next to her and leaned in closer, interested. "Why... what is it?"

"Well..." Claire prayed that Gotz wouldn't condemn her for prying, "I need to know about... how your- your wife and daughter died."

A painfully sad look entered Gotz's eyes, and Claire immediately regretted coming. His eyes looked fairly misty as he began to speak.

"My love... my little girl... why exactly do you want to know?"

"I... I need information on attacks that have occurred in Mineral Town. It's important... it-it has to do with the attack on the Poultry Farm..."

Gotz nodded in understanding, eyes slightly narrowed as he scrutinized her. "Well... you seem to be a trustworthy girl...all right."

He began to tell his story, and Claire listened intently, not daring to interrupt. "My wife was such a wonderful woman. Smart, funny, caring, just lovely overall. And our daughter was just like her, a tiny copy, if you will." He sighed, now surrounded in memories.

"One evening, nearly ten years ago, my wife took our daughter out to pick flowers up on the mountain, Mother's Hill. Our little girl was five years old at the time. She said they would only be around an hour, and so I waited, and waited, but after nearly three hours, it was getting very late, and they still hadn't returned home. A storm had rolled in, and all the while, the wind and rain were making it dangerous to stay outside. So I...I went up to the mountain, through the pouring rain, and I..." his voice faltered, "I called their names, but there was no response, none at all. I searched for _hours_, but it was getting so late, and the weather was awful... I left and went to Officer Harris for help, and we decided to wait until morning, when it would be brighter and the storm had passed."

A tear rolled down his cheek. "The next morning, we went back up to the mountain, and up near the summit of Mother's Hill, we found them. Their bodies... they had been horrifically m-mauled to death, it... it was terrible. B-blood everywhere. And we never... we never found out who, or why."

Claire, unnerved by the sight of such a large man crying, didn't quite know what to do. She patted his arm in what she hoped was a comforting manner. "I'm sorry..."

His gaze hardened. "I-I need to go now. Sorry, but you're going to have to leave."

Gotz abruptly turned away, and the young blonde hesitated before making her way out the door. "...Goodbye."

"Bye."

Claire paused outside the door, deep in thought. _Is it just me, or was that an odd reaction? He was... awfully abrupt._

Shrugging off her uneasy feelings, she made her way back down the path toward Sunshine Farm. There were seeds that needed planting, after all.

* * *

Hours later, as the sun began to set below the horizon, Claire sat at the dining table with her puppy in her lap, starving and exhausted. Farming was definitely hard work.

She had managed to figure out how to use the milker, though about half of the milk was spilled in the process. And she had also planted all the seeds she bought at the supermarket- first tilling the soil with a huge rusty hoe that she could barely hold up, then organizing the seeds into neat rows based on the type of vegetable, and finally watering each row with a small blue watering can she had found in the stable.

Yawning, Claire decided to stop over at the Inn again for another meal. She was too lazy to make dinner for herself today, and perhaps the other customers at the Inn would be able to wake her up with an interesting conversation.

With a prickle of apprehension, Claire remembered what had happened the last time she ate dinner at the Inn, but she shrugged off these feelings as her stomach let loose another growl. If she ate quickly, she should have time enough to make it back home before the night set in.

Without a second thought, Claire headed out down the road toward the Inn. And glancing up at the leafy treetops and blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds, she couldn't help the feeling of serenity and contentment that now washed over her. Despite what had happened in the past few days, Mineral Town really _was_ a beautiful place. And tomorrow would be the first day of summer, Claire's favorite season. Surely nothing could go wrong...

If only that were true.

* * *

The Inn was already bustling by the time Claire stepped inside. Many of the tables were occupied by now- Manna's husband Duke sat drinking in the corner with the same unfamiliar bearded man as last time, and Gray sat at a table by himself again, staring down at his slice of apple pie.

Karen was also at the Inn, with her parents Sasha and Jeff this time, so she hadn't dared to order her usual bottles of wine. And the librarian Mary, whom Claire hadn't seen since the party at the church, sat at another table with her own parents, Anna and Basil.

Claire approached the long counter at the back of the dining room. To her surprise, it wasn't Ann who sat behind the counter, but the brunette girl's father Doug, looking uncharacteristically grumpy. He shook his head and mumbled to himself as he handed Claire a menu.

"Goddess damn it, that girl! Our busiest night yet, and she goes off to the Hot Springs, leaving me to deal with this crowd on my own!" He turned to Claire, who wore an expression of mixed worry and uneasiness. "I'm sorry, but it gets awfully frustrating! I'm sure she's fine, probably just wanted to get out of working a busy shift tonight. Well, she'll be working _every_ night of summer if she doesn't get back over here soon! Ahem... so, what did you want to order?"

"Oh, um... I'll just have a salad, I guess, with a plate of curry bread and a glass of... apple juice?"

Doug nodded as he turned back to the kitchen. "It'll be right out, just go ahead and sit down wherever there's space and I'll bring it over to you."

"All right, thanks!"

Claire shook off her uneasy feelings about Ann's unusual absence and looked around the dining room, wondering where to sit. For a moment, she considered sitting beside Karen, or going over to start a conversation with Mary, but decided against interrupting their time with family. With a moment's hesitation, she stepped over to take a seat beside Gray again. He heaved a small sigh as soon as he saw Claire approach, and narrowed his eyes at her.

"_You_ again... what do you want?"

Claire snorted with indignation, her usually mild temper rising. "I only wanted to sit next to you, and see if you cared to have an intelligent conversation, but if you're going to have this attitude all the time, then forget it! I'll leave you alone, if that's what you really want."

Gray's eyes widened incredulously, and he leaned back in his chair. "Fine... I'm sorry, all right?"

The blonde girl simply shook her head, as she was interrupted by Doug with a tray full of food.

"Here's the curry bread you ordered, and your salad, and a glass of juice." He set the meal down on the table in front of her. "Please enjoy. That will be... 700G."

Claire nodded and pulled out her wallet to pay Doug, who thanked her as she handed him the money before hurrying back to the kitchen. She turned back to Gray, who was eyeing her curry bread.

"Go ahead... have some if you like."

Gray paused for a moment before giving in, and lifted a warm roll from the plate, smirking slightly as he bit in. He noticed Claire smiling back at him, however, and his grin faded back to seriousness.

Claire pondered reprimanding him again, but decided it wasn't worth it, and only rolled her eyes as she lifted her fork to bite into the leafy salad. She glanced around the room, and her eyes landed on the old man sitting beside Duke, the only villager in the Inn that she didn't recognize.

"Hey, Gray... who is that old man over there, next to Duke? The one with the long white beard?"

Gray responded without a glance, his eyes on his food. "That's my grandfather, Saibara. He's the blacksmith, and my mentor."

Claire nodded. "Do you guys... get along?"

Gray stopped chewing and stared at her, and she bit her lip. "Sorry..."

He continued eating. "Nah, it… it's all right. He's fine...sometimes. But he pushes me too hard, wants too much out of me."

"…I understand. But... he probably just wants you to do well, right? I mean, you _are_ his grandson, and his apprentice..."

"Yeah, but-"

Suddenly, Manna burst into the Inn's dining room with a loud _slam_ of the heavy wooden doors, and Gray's retort was cut short.

The woman's ebony hair was tangled, her breath was raspy as if she had just run a mile, and the shawl over her shoulders lay disheveled. Her eyes were frantic with shock and worry as she stopped to catch her breath and scanned the room. The Inn went quiet as diners turned to stare.

Duke stumbled from his seat to approach his wife. "Manna, honey... what happened? What is it?"

Manna's face was flushed, and she took another large breath before pushing her husband to the side. A sob caught in her throat as she stepped up to address the entire room.

"There's been another attack! It-it's Ann!"

* * *

**A/N: And there's another cliffhanger! I do apologize, but it was necessary! So don't hate me, haha.**

**I don't really remember much in the game about how Gotz's family died, or about Ann's mother for that matter (I haven't played FoMT/MFoMT in so long!), so forgive me if things aren't completely true to the game itself. This **_**is**_** just a fanfiction, after all.**

**Also, I was thinking about making a poll on my profile to see who my readers think the culprit is. It's not up yet, though, and if I decide to do it, it won't be for another couple of chapters or so. I just wanted to let you know ahead of time. :)**

**Hope you enjoy the mystery so far! Please review, and keep a lookout for the next chapter!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	8. Stay With Me

**A/N: Warning: This chapters contains a bit of blood, though nothing worse than in the chicken massacre chapter. Just thought you should know anyway. Enjoy!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

* * *

Chapter 8: Stay With Me

Manna's words rang out into the air like a gunshot. The Inn had gone completely silent at her dramatic outburst. Claire could practically hear her heart beating through her chest, and she began to feel nauseous. _Ann...?_

Beside her, Gray's face had gone pale, and he set his fork back down on the table beside his unfinished plate of apple pie and curry bread. Everyone in the room could only stare at Manna as she began sobbing into her husband's shoulder, and Duke wore an expression of mixed discomfort and concern.

_"What?!"_

The moment of shocked silence was interrupted by a shout, as Doug came rushing out from the kitchen, looking frazzled. "What happened?"

Manna lifted her head from Duke's shoulder as Doug approached her, her face streaked with tears. "Ann-" she choked out.

"What?! Ann? My girl! What happened, where is she?"

Duke patted the innkeeper on the arm in an effort to calm him and glanced at his wife, looking strained. "Calm down... Manna, please, tell us what happened."

Manna attempted to dry her face with her shawl, but to no avail, as the tears kept coming. "I-I was just going to walk down here to the Inn to make sure that _you_-" She pointed at her husband, who looked sheepish, "-weren't drinking too much. And I thought I heard something... but when I walked outside, I came across her body... Ann..."

Doug made a motion as if to run to the door, but stopped himself as Manna continued. "Ann... she was on the ground, off on the side of the street, near the opening to the woods... just lying there... and the blood-"

She stifled another sob. "Hur-hurry! She...she's just outside the winery, you have to come help her! She's hurt!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Doug turned to dash out the door, but Duke grabbed his arm.

"Wait...someone, call the mayor! He and Harris have to get over here, quick!"

Anna quickly jumped up from her chair in response and hurried toward the telephone that Doug kept behind the counter, dialing the mayor's number as fast as she could.

"Stay here, Manna. We'll be back soon."

Duke settled his wife into the nearest chair and then dashed out the door with Doug. Right away, Sasha ran over to try and comfort her distressed friend, dragging her husband Jeff along behind her.

Claire caught a glance of Manna's face, silent tears streaming down her cheeks as Sasha hugged her shoulders and spoke to her in hushed tones. Karen took this as a chance to join Claire and Gray at their table, and a few seconds later, Mary left her father and came to join them as well.

Karen plopped down into the chair to Claire's right, and Mary took a seat on Gray's left. The black-haired librarian's eyes were brimming with tears behind her glasses. "What... what do you think happened to Ann?"

Claire spoke up nervously, unsure of herself. "I... I don't know, but... I'm going out there. I need to see what happened to her."

The blonde struggled to get up from her chair, as Karen had grabbed her arm in a tight hold.

"Oh, no you don't, farmer girl! What if the killer is still out there?"

Claire ripped her arm from Karen's grasp, shooting the girl a disgusted look. "_Killer_? But Ann's not dead! She wasn't _killed_!"

The other three stared at her disbelievingly, and Claire snorted. "Whatever, I'm going out. Come with me if you want."

She turned and stomped across the room. Gray and Mary simply watched her go, Gray looking shocked and Mary now crying outright. Karen, however, making a split decision, rose from her chair and followed her.

"Wait, Claire- I'm coming too."

The two girls made their way out the door just as Mayor Thomas and Officer Harris entered the Inn, no doubt to ask the inngoers what had happened.

Once outside the Inn, Claire's brief moment of anger faded. The sky was dark, but in the light of the full moon, she could see the forms of two men down the road- Doug and Duke- crouching over... something. The blonde felt an inexplicable wave of fear wash over her, and she tugged on Karen's arm, directing her over to the scene.

They approached the men just as Doug let out a sob that made Claire freeze in her tracks.

"Ann... my daughter, please..._no_..."

And that's when Claire caught sight of the body. Ann lay on the road just outside Aja Winery, her eyes closed. One might assume she was sleeping, if it weren't for the long gashes that tore through her side. The girl's clothing was haphazardly ripped and stained with blood, exposing the torn flesh of her midsection. Fresh blood from the wounds continued to pool into the street. Her white bow, the one that was always tied to the end of her braid, lay on the rocks beside her. For a moment, Claire was afraid that Ann was dead, until she noticed the faintest rise and fall of the girl's chest.

Claire struggled to keep from gagging at the gruesome sight, and she grabbed Karen's hand to steady herself. She could feel Karen stiffen beside her as the other girl took in the terrible scene, her eyes wide with uncovered shock.

Someone came running up behind them. Officer Harris and Mayor Thomas had arrived.

"Oh-Oh, my... what happened?"

Doug glanced up at them without actually seeing. "Ann... we need a doctor! Hurry! Please, call Doctor Trent!"

Officer Harris set a hand on Karen's shoulder. "Karen, go back to the Inn and call the Clinic. Tell them that we're taking Ann over as soon as possible... prepare bandages and antiseptic. She's going to need stitches... that is, if she makes it through." He added in an undertone.

Karen nodded, her expression clouded, and dashed away without a second thought. Harris leaned down to study Ann's body, and then turned to the other men, who were watching anxiously. "I really hate to move her, but we're going to have to take her to the Clinic... there's not enough light here to fully assess the damage, and I'm no doctor by any means."

Doug nodded, and bent closer to Ann to whisper in her ear, though she couldn't hear him anyway. "Ann... stay with me, please... you'll be fine. It-it will be all right."

He and Duke tenderly lifted the girl from the street. Blood dripped from her open wounds onto the road, and again Claire fought the urge to vomit. Doug ripped off his vest and wrapped it around his daughter's abdomen in an effort to stem the bleeding, and together he and Duke slowly carried her off down the road toward the Clinic.

Mayor Thomas and Officer Harris turned toward Claire. Both wore grim expressions, and the mayor kept twirling his mustache nervously with a finger.

"Who could _possibly_ have done this? Ahem... Claire, do you have any idea?"

Claire shook her head with some regret- truthfully, she really didn't have a clue. The Mineral Town attacks were as much of a mystery to her as it was to them, if not more so.

Sighing, the mayor and Harris left to return to the Inn, but Claire stayed behind for a moment, staring at the puddle of blood before her. Gingerly, she bent down to lift the bloodstained white bow from the street. _Ann..._

Claire might not have known the girl for very long, but she had always been so welcoming and friendly toward her. A tear rolled down the blonde girl's cheek as she stared down at the piece of white ribbon in her hand, disregarding the blood that had rubbed off onto her fingers. She recalled the hospitality Ann had shown her at the Inn, and the willingness with which she attempted to become friends with Claire and make the new farmer feel at home.

Finally, Claire wiped the tear away, her gaze resolute. She needed to solve this mystery more than ever now.

* * *

As soon as she reentered the Inn, Claire could feel the heavy tension clogging the air around her fellow villagers, like clouds of foul smoke. The mayor and Officer Harris were further questioning Manna in the corner. Sasha, Jeff, Anna, and Basil huddled around their table, listening in. Each person wore an expression of mixed fear, worry, and uncertainty.

Claire approached the table in the center of the dining room where Mary and Karen sat alone. Mary glanced over at the blonde as she sat down, and her eyes widened. "Claire... you have blood on your hands." Her voice quivered dangerously.

Claire ignored her. "Where's Gray?"

"He left," the librarian answered quietly. "He and his grandfather went back home."

"Oh."

The three girls sat in uncomfortable silence, until Karen finally spoke up angrily, "What the _hell_? Why would anyone attack_ Ann_, of all people?"

Mary grabbed Karen's hand in an attempt to calm down the furious girl. "Hush, Karen... We don't know what happened..."

The look in Karen's eyes hardened. "I can tell you what happened- some mentally unstable _murderer_ has been targeting and attacking Mineral Town. And who knows who's next on their list?"

She stood up from her chair, addressing Claire and Mary, but drawing attention from the other villagers in the Inn. "There's a murderer somewhere in Mineral Town! A cold-blooded killer, and it could be _any one of us_!"

Mary bit her lip nervously, and more tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "Please, Karen... you're overreacting. I think you watch too many horror movies. No person-"

Karen interrupted the librarian, looking agitated as she turned toward her. "You know, Mary, not _everyone_ in town is as _good _and _purehearted_ as yourself. Why-"

Irritated, Claire threw her hands down on the table with a _bang_, startling Karen and Mary in the middle of their argument. "Will you both just _shut up_? Quit arguing! This is _not_ the time! Ann is seriously injured, and you're going to sit here bickering like fools, when you _sh__ould_ be doing something to help?"

Both Mary and Karen looked rightly ashamed of themselves at Claire's accusatory outburst, and the blonde farmer rose from her chair, her voice now much gentler.

"I...I'm going over to the Clinic. I want to see... I want to know if Ann is going to be all right."

"But we can't-"

Claire silenced Mary with a look. "I'm not going to bother her... I just want to go speak to Elli about it. You guys can come too, if you like."

She turned and walked back out the front door. The other two girls exchanged a quick glance before rising from their seats and following her, and together they made their way down the dark road toward the Clinic.

Every sound, every movement, every shadow seemed threatening to Claire's fragile state of mind, but nothing out of the ordinary happened, and the short trip to the Clinic was quick and uneventful. _Perhaps the attacker has retreated for the night..._

Hopefully that was true.

* * *

Elli approached the three girls as soon as they entered the front door of the Clinic. Her normally cheerful face was marred by tears and an expression of fear as she addressed the visitors. "Mary, Karen, Claire... please, come in, come in. And hurry."

She ushered them into the room, where they each took seats in the small, cushy armchairs gathered in the waiting area. Here they sat quietly in a circle, nobody daring to speak. Claire glanced down at her hands and realized that she was still holding on to Ann's hair bow, her fist turning purple from clenching it so tightly.

Suddenly, the Clinic door burst open, and none other than Cliff came running into the room. His face was flushed, and concern was prominently displayed on his face as he frantically searched the room. "Ann- I just heard- what-?"

Elli stood up from her chair and lifted a hand to stop him, speaking in her usual gentle tone. "Cliff, calm down. We can barely understand you. Just take a deep breath."

Cliff breathed in deeply and ran a hand through his tousled hair, which was falling out of its normally neat ponytail. Honestly, he looked a mess, which was exactly how Claire felt at the moment. But she had never seen Cliff in such a state (though that wasn't saying much, considering she had only known him for a few days), and from the looks on her peers' faces, they had never seen him like this, either. The young man's usual shy, quiet demeanor had been taken over by frantic anxiety.

"All right, I'm all right... I just- I heard what happened to Ann… I was up in my room at the Inn, but I-I came downstairs to eat dinner, and saw Manna crying with Officer Harris in the dining room... Sasha told me what happened... I came running here straight away, I was so worried."

Karen nodded, with the faintest hint of an eye roll. "Yeah, we _all_ are."

She turned to face Elli, her voice now deadly serious, but with a twinge of uncertainty that showed in her eyes. "So... Do you know... Is Ann going to be all right? Is she... she's not _dead_, is she? I mean, she's alive, isn't she?"

"Yes."

Doctor Trent spoke up from behind them, causing Claire to jump- she hadn't heard the doctor approach. "Ann... I'm quite sure she's going to be all right. She's just unconscious right now- she has a large, raised lump on the left side of her face, near her upper forehead. There's some serious bruising as well, on various sections of her body. We think she was knocked over by a strong opposing force and hit her head on the pavement. As soon as she comes to, we'll have to interrogate her about her attacker."

He sighed, looking especially strained. "We cleaned up the wounds as best we could, but we'll have to examine them more thoroughly in order to determine what exactly caused them. Though it was a dangerous decision to move her, she's lucky her father and Duke brought her in when they did- she could easily have died of blood loss, those were some nasty gashes in her side. They'll definitely need stitches… Not to mention the fact that she may have a concussion, as well."

Cliff, who had been staring down at his feet as the doctor spoke, looked up at the mention of Ann's father. "…Where is Doug? I... I'd like to speak to him."

Doctor Trent nodded towards the door in the right wall. "Ann's in there, on the bed. You can go in there, but then the rest of you will have to wait. Doug is sitting with her, and Duke is there as well, trying to comfort him. Doug... he's afraid for his daughter, and I don't blame him. She's in a bad condition, all right."

Cliff acknowledged the doctor's words with a nod, tears in his eyes, and was about to enter the room when Claire caught sudden inspiration.

"Wait... here, Cliff, take this." She lifted her hand, uncurling her fingers around the stained ribbon for Cliff to see. "Give this to Doug... it-it's Ann's hair ribbon."

The brown-haired young man nodded in understanding, carefully lifting the crumpled bow from Claire's palm before turning to leave, Doctor Trent right behind him.

"Thank you, Claire."

Mary, who had been completely silent for the entire duration of the conversation, finally spoke up. "I-I'm going home. I've heard all I needed to hear, and I don't want my parents to become worried. I-I'll see you all tomorrow."

Karen nodded as the dark-haired girl got up to leave. "Tomorrow's the first day of summer, isn't it? I guess I'll see you all at the Beach Festival, then. That is, if it isn't canceled." Her voice took on a slightly acidic tone. "I... I think I'll stay here a little longer, keep Elli company. What about you, Claire?"

The blonde hesitated just a moment. "I... I just want to go home, really. Today has been exhausting. And... Ann hasn't woken up yet. I'll have to come visit tomorrow, if that's all right, Elli."

The young nurse bobbed her head in understanding. "That's perfectly fine."

"Okay… see you guys."

Claire's voice sounded especially weary, and she glanced up just as the clock on the wall chimed twelve o'clock midnight.

_Well... this was an interesting start to the summer,_ she thought bitterly.

And as she walked the road back toward Sunshine Farm by herself, Claire couldn't shake off the feeling that someone- or some_thing_- was watching her from the shadows, plotting their next move.

* * *

**A/N: Whew, this chapter took a lot of work! But it **_**is **_**the longest chapter of this story so far. And although I'm the one to write this, I still feel really bad- this was a rather dark scene. It must be horrible for Doug, who fears he may now lose the second love of his life, his only daughter. And it also seems that Claire has a bit of a temper.**

**Because the next chapter takes place during Beach Opening Day, the first day of summer, Chapter 9 should be slightly more lighthearted! Or so we hope. It also calls for the introduction of a new character- Kai! I've been waiting to write about him, haha.**

**Also, I was thinking of putting the suspect poll up on my profile possibly after this next chapter. But right now, I have another Harvest Moon-related poll on my profile that you can vote in. Either way, please review- I really appreciate feedback. :)**

**Thank you!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	9. Goddess Blessings

**A/N: Thank you to everyone currently reading this story! Every review, follow, and favorite is very encouraging. And Hershey, I'm happy to hear you found the time to read, haha. **

**Unfortunately, Kai won't actually be in this chapter, but the **_**next**_** one. I ended up splitting this chapter into two parts, because it kept getting longer, and longer, and I want to try and keep all my chapters around the same word count. You can thank my OCD for that. Plus this chapter is my longest so far. **

**So, the next chapter will be focusing on the actual Beach Day festival, and **_**that's**_** when Kai will come into the story. Sorry about that! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I think Chapter 10 may be interesting. as well :)**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

* * *

Chapter 9: Goddess Blessings

Claire awoke early on the first day of summer after a very restless night, full of fevered tossing and turning. Her uneasy slumber had been haunted by disturbing memories and nightmarish scenes, which flashed from one to another in quick succession- Ann's body lay bleeding on the street, her life draining away by the second; bright red blood splattered the walls of a chicken coop where Popuri sat crying, holding her head in her hands; a huge shadow with piercing eyes of gold followed Claire down the road, its pace steady and determined.

Claire struggled out of bed, trying to shake off her newly formed headache that only worsened with each excited bark from her dog, Bailey. She threw on some clothes and quickly brushed her hair, tying it up into a neat ponytail. It was only six thirty in the morning, but a very busy day for the young farmer- not only did she have her farmwork to take care of, but it was the day of the Beach Festival as well.

Her mind was still moving at about a mile a minute, and Claire knew she had to clear her thoughts somehow. Perhaps this called for a relaxing horseback ride through the woods- back when Claire took riding lessons, that had always calmed her down. Hopefully it would work now.

After feeding her energetic puppy, and preparing herself a quick and easy breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, Claire grabbed an apple from the fridge and headed outdoors. The young farmer completed a series of everyday chores- watering the plants, feeding and milking Clementine- before finally entering the stable. Wasting no time, as she had quite a list of things to do for the day, Claire fed the apple to Thunder and attached his saddle and other riding gear, leading the young horse outside by a rope.

Hopping easily onto Thunder's back, Claire urged the horse to start moving, and directed him toward the path at the edge of her field that led out into the forest. Suppressing a flicker of doubt, Claire crossed the bridge into the woods before pausing in thought.

_Which way now?_

She could go down the road past Gotz's cabin, which she hesitated to do. Or she could go up the path to the mountain, which she _definitely_ did not want to do- Goddess only knows what could be hiding up there. In the end, Claire decided to ride down a smaller third path. She didn't know where it went, exactly, but it looked sunnier and much more inviting.

Claire rode on, but the path turned out to be very short- it ended in a sunny clearing, with a waterfall that splashed into a lovely pond to her right, and a small building of sorts at the far end- a Hot Spring. Taking in the picturesque scene and the peaceful sound of splashing water, Claire noticed with a jump that there was someone else in the clearing- someone who sat the edge of the pond, staring out into the water.

Claire knew that head of bright pink hair anywhere by now- it was Popuri.

"Popuri!" she called.

Glancing over her shoulder for the source of the voice, Popuri spotted Claire on her horse and motioned her over. The blonde girl dismounted Thunder and led him over to the pond, where she took a seat next to the pinkette, looking around.

"What is this place?"

Popuri looked out over the water again, at the elegant waterfall and smooth surface of the pond. When she spoke, her voice sounded different in a way, older somehow.

"It's the Goddess Pond. Legend says the Harvest Goddess lives here, at the base of the waterfall, where she can watch over all of Mineral Town, helping the villagers and granting her blessings in exchange for offerings of fruit and flowers. I was just offering the Goddess a bouquet of Pink Cat flowers, to pray for Ann." She pointed at the soggy pink flowers floating on the surface of the water. "I... I heard what happened to her."

She went silent, and Claire hesitated a moment. "That was... that was really thoughtful of you, Popuri. Are you still...?"

Popuri sighed. "It's been hard, Claire. I'll admit that. Yesterday I left another bouquet of flowers, in remembrance of my... of my chickens. The mayor and Officer Harris came in to investigate after it happened, but Rick, my brother, he asked them not to make a big deal of it. Didn't want some huge investigation at the farm. Better to just forget about the bad things and move on, I guess. They... they had it cleaned up, and now everyone's so focused on the attack on Ann..." She trailed off, and Claire finally opted to change the subject.

"...Hey Popuri, where _is_ Rick?"

The pink-haired girl absentmindedly adjusted her headband as she spoke, her voice now back to its usual lively tone. "Rick's back at the farm with Mom." The look on her face brightened. "You could probably come stop by in a little bit! We could go to the festival together. It'll be fun! You know, if that's okay." She giggled. "I'm sure Rick wouldn't mind at all."

Claire smiled. "Yeah, that sounds great, Popuri. I'll see you guys later, then."

The blonde stood up and stretched, as her back was slightly stiff from sitting on the ground, before mounting her horse again. Popuri called after her as she rode off, "Bye, Claire! See you soon!"

A vaguely uneasy feeling struck Claire. Popuri may have seemed relatively cheery at the pond just then, but Claire could tell it was just an act, and that the girl was hurting deep down. First, her beloved chickens had been slaughtered, and then one of her best friends was violently attacked... Claire couldn't blame her, but it made her feel uncomfortable knowing that Popuri may be much more depressed than she let on.

Shaking off these feelings, Claire pushed Thunder to ride faster. In the early morning, the forest didn't feel threatening at all, quite the contrary. The sun beat down through the trees, and the woods were full of life- birds called, squirrels rustled in the trees and an occasional rabbit bounded through the grass, butterflies fluttered in patches of sunlight.

But Claire knew from experience that outward appearances weren't everything.

* * *

Nearly an hour later, Claire's leg muscles were getting tired from riding around so much, and the blonde prepared to turn back to the farm. However, upon reaching the path that led toward Gotz's cabin, she made an impulsive decision. Claire had always been an inquisitive sort- it occasionally got her into trouble. And spotting Gotz's house on the path ahead, Claire couldn't help but feel slightly adventurous.

Sliding off her horse, she led Thunder over to a tree and tied his rope around it before sneaking over to Gotz's cabin, pressing herself against the rough wooden wall. The window next to her was slightly ajar, and she could hear someone talking. Two voices.

Curiosity overcame her, and Claire prayed that nobody happened to be looking out the window. Taking a deep breath, she took a chance and peeked through the glass, where she could see everything inside quite clearly.

Gotz was sitting with Officer Harris at the dining table, both men looking serious and vastly unaware of their eavesdropper. Claire strained her ears to hear what they were saying.

"-unusual. I've been patrolling the streets for hours, ever since the attack on Ann, actually." Harris lowered his hand to his belt as he said this, and Claire noticed something black and metallic through his fingers. A gun.

Gotz noticed it too. With a hint of distaste, he said, "I see you've gotten a new weapon..."

The officer nodded. "Well, yes. This attacker means serious business. I mean, he very well could have _killed_ Ann- really, it's only good luck that he didn't. And if it comes to having to fight fire with fire, I will. Though truthfully, this may be more for visual effect. I'm not the best with guns." He scratched his head sheepishly.

The carpenter frowned. "All right, Harris, but _please_ don't just go shooting at random. Only if you're absolutely sure of yourself." He shook his head. "I've been patrolling the mountain all night as well. Who knows what, or who, may be hiding out up there...though I haven't seen anything yet."

This time, it was the officer's turn to frown. "Perhaps it should be me patrolling the mountain..." he started, but fixed himself at the glare Gotz was giving him."I mean, thanks for helping out, Gotz, but-"

Gotz interrupted him. "You know that I know the mountain much better than you. And you could use my help- one man can't patrol an entire town by himself. Besides, patrolling the mountain was _my_ idea in the first place."

Harris grimaced. "It-it's been quite a while since...you know...I don't think-"

The larger man interrupted him, again. This time, tears shone in his eyes as he spoke. "My wife and daughter meant the world to me. I think, if I can prevent others from meeting the same fate...those two will rest a little more peacefully..."

Harris nodded quietly, looking solemn. "I think so, too... Well, I'll see you later, Gotz. Will you be participating in the festival?"

Gotz shook his head. "No... I'd prefer to stick around here. Not such a big fan of beaches."

"Oh, well, I understand. Beach Day isn't really my thing, either."

Harris stood up from his chair and began walking toward the door, and it took Claire a minute to process what was happening.

She took off through the trees as fast as she could. Officer Harris couldn't catch her spying on them.

"Thunder!" She hissed. The horse whinnied in response to her voice, somewhere to Claire's left, and she turned around a large pine to come face to face with her horse. She quickly untied him from his tree and jumped into the saddle, riding off in the direction of the bridge toward Sunshine Farm.

"Come on, boy... that's enough adventure for one day."

Plus, Claire had other plans to attend to before the festivities began.

* * *

Claire entered the Clinic to find it near empty and deathly silent. Elli was sitting at the front desk, sorting through papers, but she stood up as the blonde girl approached her.

"Hello, Claire... here to see Ann?"

Claire nodded, and the young nurse took her by the hand and led her to the door of Ann's room. "Doug and Cliff are inside... Ann hasn't woken up yet, but Doctor Trent cleaned out the wounds and gave her stitches." Elli grimaced. "That poor girl... those gashes were terribly deep. Trent said that they looked like claw marks... like something from a huge animal."

She shuddered. "But please, never mind that! Here, come in."

The brunette opened the door for Claire, and together they stepped inside. Cliff looked up as Claire approached and bobbed his head in greeting, but Doug ignored their presence completely. There were dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, and he kept his vision trained on his daughter's face. Claire cringed as her eyes swept over the scene- Ann's forehead was badly bruised, with an egg-sized bump just above her eye, and she was glad the rest of the girl was covered by a blanket.

_I don't think I could stand to see Ann's injuries... but I might have to if I want to try and determine what attacked her for myself._

Elli's quiet voice interrupted Claire's thoughts. "Stay as long as you like, Claire. I'll be out at the front desk." She left, leaving the door slightly ajar behind her, and Claire tore her eyes from Ann to look at Cliff. She was shocked to see how empty he looked.

"Cliff..."

He glanced up sadly. "Claire… Ann is... she's almost like a sister to me. I can't stand to see her hurt. I-I just hope she gets better, and soon."

Claire nodded. "I understand completely, Cliff. It's what we all wish." The blonde glanced back down at Ann, and that's when she noticed something different.

"Ann...?" Claire spoke up uncertainly. The girl's eyelids fluttered, and then her eyes opened, revealing pale blue irises. Her body shifted a few inches, and then she let out a moan of pain as if the slightest movement hurt her.

Immediately, Doug sprung into action. "Ann! Oh my Goddess, Ann, my daughter! This- this is a blessing from the Harvest Goddess herself! We need the Doctor- Cliff, I'll be right back, stay here!"

Claire snorted as he darted out of the room before glancing again at Ann in the bed. _As if we would actually go anywhere now..._

Just seconds later, Doctor Trent appeared in the room, trailed closely by a hopeful Doug. "So she's awake... we'll need to check on her injuries, quickly. Cliff, Claire, Doug, it's all right if you stay, but please sit down."

The three visitors took their seats in the gathering of wooden chairs beside the bed, and Trent lifted the covers off of Ann, revealing the striped knee-length nightgown she wore. _Elli must have changed her clothes last night... there was no way they could leave her in what she had on._ Claire winced as she remembered the way Ann had been discovered, her clothing shredded and stained with newly spilled blood.

Trent gently lifted the girl's pajamas, just enough to reveal the blood-soaked bandages wrapped around her body. Cliff immediately began to blush, and averted his eyes at the sight of Ann's bare legs, fixing his gaze upon the floorboards instead.

Claire, meanwhile, caught a glance at the girl's abdomen as the doctor carefully peeled away at her bandages, and wished she hadn't- at least three long gashes ran across her stomach from one side to the other, sewn up with noticeable black stitches but still oozing slightly. The entire area was a blueish shade, like an enormous bruise, matching the black and blue bump on her forehead. It didn't look good.

Trent began to clean the wounds and prepare fresh bandages for her. Ann seemed barely able to process what was happening, as her face was scrunched up in sheer pain. Claire finally looked away, feeling squeamish.

"Elli, go grab the pain medications, please. You know the ones. She'll be needing them, for sure."

Claire hadn't even noticed Elli enter the room, but she heard the door swing open as the nurse exited. The doctor sighed as he placed his last bandage on Ann.

"We need to bring Officer Harris in to interrogate her. I'm sorry, but you're all going to have to leave."

Doug's gaze hardened. "I'm not leaving. That's my _daughter_ there, I can't leave her! She needs me."

Trent shook his head, knowing it was useless to argue with the man. "Fine, Doug, you may stay. But Claire, Cliff, I'm afraid you must go. Standard protocol."

Claire nodded- she didn't have the strength to protest. Doctor Trent led Cliff and Claire out into the main foyer, before turning back to Ann's room and calling out behind him, "Elli, could you please call the mayor's house for me?"

Elli nodded as she stepped forward to hand him a bottle of pain medication. "Of course, Doctor." She scurried back to her desk and lifted the phone as Claire turned to Cliff. "Well, I guess we should go..."

Cliff merely shook his head, either refusing or unable to speak, Claire couldn't quite tell which. They waited for Elli to finish her call before Claire said her goodbyes to the girl.

"Bye, Claire! Maybe I'll see you at the Beach Festival later. I'm working now, obviously, but Trent might allow me to leave and join in the festivities for a bit." She frowned slightly. "I don't think he wants to go, he'd rather look after his patient, but truthfully, I could use a little break from all the... unhappiness."

Claire could not blame her one bit.

She and Cliff exited the Clinic together, and then simultaneously turned toward one another. "Cliff, I need to go grab some things for the festival from the farm, and then I'm going to meet Popuri and Rick at their house."

The young man nodded. "Sure... Um, I'm going back to Aja Winery for a bit... See you later, I guess."

"Bye, Cliff."

They went their separate ways, Claire heading back toward Sunshine Farm to grab her swimsuit, some shorts and a T-shirt, and her rucksack filled with various snacks and such. She hoped the festival would be fun- anything to get the image of Ann's injured body off her mind, if only for a moment. A wave of anger coursed through the farmer at the very thought.

_How could anyone do such a terrible thing?_

Claire wanted nothing more than to find the culprit and have them rightfully punished. _Nobody would deserve it more..._

* * *

**A/N: Just a note, the scene where Harris and Gotz are talking in Gotz's house is a real event in the More Friends of Mineral Town game. I thought it fit in well with this story when I saw it, so I modified it a bit and wrote it in. Just thought I should mention that, haha.**

**Thank you all for reading as usual! Don't be afraid to voice your thoughts- I like to know what people truly think of the story. :)**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	10. The Beach Festival

**A/N: Gah, finally the next chapter is finished! I apologize for my unexpected hiatus there! And just so you know, I changed the genre of this story from Mystery/Suspense to Mystery/Horror. Why? Because I felt like it, that's why.**

**Also, this chapter is about Beach Day, obviously, but I've changed the festival a bit. In the game, it's a contest that involves throwing a frisbee to your dog. Yeah. That's about it. Well, that wouldn't work out well in this story, since Claire's puppy isn't even full grown yet, and it's not very exciting anyway. So this is what I imagine Beach Day to be like- more like a big beach party, haha. Enjoy!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

* * *

Chapter 10: The Beach Festival

_Knock, knock..._

Claire stood on Popuri's front porch with one hand poised over the door, preparing to knock again. After a quick change back at home, the blonde was now wearing her favorite polka-dotted blue bikini underneath her generic shorts and T-shirt; her rucksack was slung over her back, containing a beach towel, sunscreen, and other various necessities. For the first time in months, she was wearing sandals, rather than her usual well-worn pair of sneakers.

Lifting her hand from the door's polished surface, Claire stepped back to lean against the porch railing as she waited for someone to get the door... and waited... and waited. Rolling her eyes, she reached forward to knock once more.

_Knock, knock..._

She heard movement from inside the house, and finally the door burst open, revealing a slightly frazzled looking Popuri.

"Oh, hey Claire. Sorry for making you wait!"

"Nah, it's okay," Claire responded, and Popuri giggled while attempting to smooth down her hair, the bright pink curls bouncing everywhere.

"Well, don't be shy, come on in!"

The pinkette led Claire into a neatly furnished kitchen. Inside, Popuri's brother Rick sat at the wooden dining table with an unfamiliar woman. She looked like an older copy of Popuri, pink hair and all, and Claire had to stop a moment to think. The woman was pretty in an older, elegant sort of way, though her unusually pale skin and the dark circles under her eyes betrayed an inner sense of sickly exhaustion.

Claire suddenly recalled what the pastor, Carter, had told her. _That must be Lillia..._

Popuri grinned and took to the stairs. "I just need to go change into my swimsuit, and then we can leave! I'll be right back, Claire, you can just sit at the table with Mom and Rick for a second."

Nodding, Claire took a seat beside the bespectacled young man, who was grumbling at his younger sister's mention of a _swimsuit_. Meanwhile, Lillia smiled gently and greeted their guest in a quiet voice. "Hello, Claire... I'm Rick and Popuri's mother, Lillia. They've told me about you. You're Mineral Town's new farmer, correct? Down at Sunshine Farm? "

Claire shook her head in acknowledgement, and Lillia continued, "I apologize for not being able to make it to your welcoming party at the church. I wasn't feeling well that day, unfortunately. Ahem... So anyway, how have you been?"

Lillia lifted a frail hand to shake Claire's, and Claire found that the woman's palms were surprisingly warm, to match her kind smile.

"Oh, um... you know, I'm all right, I guess..." the blonde stuttered.

Just then, Popuri came hopping back down the stairs in a frilly purple bikini and matching flip-flops, her fuchsia hair neatly combed and a small backpack settled over her shoulder. "Okay, I'm ready to go! Come on, I'll grab the picnic basket!"

She made to lift the basket of food from the kitchen counter, but Rick stopped her in her tracks, an edge of disapproval in his tone.

"Not so fast... Popuri, _what_ exactly are you wearing?"

The pinkette rolled her eyes, frowning slightly. "A _swimsuit_. We _are_ going to the beach, after all."

Rick's face reddened slightly, though from embarrassment or anger, Claire couldn't tell. Perhaps a mix of both. "Yes, but-"

Popuri interrupted him. "Goddess, Rick, it's just a bikini!"

He scowled, shooting a sideways glance at their mother, who seemed indifferent to their argument as she took the time to fold a stack of colorful beach towels.

"Well, put something over it, at least."

Popuri merely sighed and produced a simple daisy yellow sundress from her bag, throwing it over her head and pulling it down past her mid-thigh, as Rick grabbed the picnic basket and headed out the door with Lillia in tow. Claire and Popuri exchanged a slightly bemused look before following them outside.

After some small talk with the blonde farmer, Popuri bounced on ahead to assist her mother with the large stack of towels. Her eyes still had that sad, faraway look in them, Claire noted, but it was now accompanied by a smile. A genuine smile.

Claire approached Rick as they continued on in the direction of the beach, her eyebrows raised questioningly at the sudden spring in Popuri's step. Just hours earlier, that same girl had been solemnly tossing flowers into the Goddess Pond, mourning the loss of her precious chickens, and the predicament one of her best friends was facing.

"Hey, Rick..." She gestured toward the pink haired girl. "What's up with Popuri?"

Rick frowned, an unexpectedly disgusted gleam in his eyes. "_Kai_," he spat. "That good-for-nothing, lowlife player travels the world, apparently, but comes to Mineral Town every summer. He operates the Snack Shack on the beach. And every time he comes, he smooth talks Popuri with a bushel of lies, clouding her better judgement. Popuri's so smitten with him, he's all she thinks about, but she could do _so_ much better."

Claire stared at him. "So... are they dating, or what?"

Rick snorted. "Oh, no. Most certainly not. And he had better stay away from her. Goddess forbid, if that scumbag ever did anything to my little sister..." He kicked at a stone in the road, narrowing his eyes. "I don't trust him."

Claire, however, couldn't quite understand Rick's obvious hatred for the mysterious traveler. In her eyes, anything or anyone that could take Popuri's mind off the terrible events of the last few days, bringing her away from her inner sadness, was a good thing. Unless, of course, Claire didn't know the whole story.

_Is Rick just being a usual overprotective older brother? Or is there something about Kai that he's not telling me...? _

She shrugged to herself. _Oh, well. Only one way to find out._

* * *

As soon as she stepped down the stone stairs onto the golden sands of Mineral Beach, Claire was reminded of her first day in Mineral Town, not too long ago. The way her hair tangled in the salty ocean breeze as the ferry pushed onwards to their destination; the way the bright sunlight reflected off the water, nearly blinding her. That feeling of excitement as she stepped off the boat onto the dock, as if entering an entirely new world for the first time. Which, in a way, she was.

Back in the city, everything had been so fast and loud and dark, a cold and monotonous world created of towering concrete, the stink of car exhaust, choruses of shouts and horns blaring. Claire always hated the city, and wished to smell fresh air again, hear birds singing by day and crickets chirping by night. Here in Mineral Town, she already felt free, peaceful.

How long ago, it seemed. It was amazing how much older, more experienced, Claire felt after just a few days on her own in this town. Not a week earlier, she had lived innocent and unfazed, free of any disturbing attacks, frightening stalkers in the night, or creepy mysteries.

But there was no turning back now.

_"Kai!_"

The girl's reminiscing was interrupted as a blur of vivid pink shot past and tackled a strange young man standing on the beach in front of them, a guy around Claire's own age with deeply tanned skin and a purple bandana tied over his dark hair. He was attractive, she had to admit.

Popuri wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, and for once, there was a genuinely happy gleam in her eyes. As if all her problems could be forgotten, just for a moment.

"Kai! It's so nice to see you again!" she squealed, before stepping back with a more serious expression. "I missed you."

Somewhere behind her, Claire heard a sort of growl, and turned to spot Rick struggling to balance the huge stack of towels and picnic basket in his arms as he helped his mother find an appropriate spot to sit, somewhere out of the direct sunlight. Rick's eyes shot daggers at the dark young man hugging his sister. Whether the man didn't notice or simply ignored it, Claire wasn't sure.

"Poppy!" Kai grinned as he hugged her back. "Look at you! Beautiful as always."

Popuri blushed at her nickname as the man turned away, and a smirk crossed his face as his eyes met Claire's. He approached the blonde, hand outstretched. "And who are you?"

Claire stuck out a hand. "My name is Claire... I'm the new farmer in town. And Popuri's friend."

Kai nodded, taking Claire's hand in his own and shaking it enthusiastically. "So Mayor Thomas actually found someone to buy Sunshine Farm? Interesting... And a very pretty girl, at that!"

Claire blushed despite herself, though Kai's compliment made her feel uncomfortable. Upon meeting him face to face, something about Kai made her uneasy...

Kai, however, merely chuckled. "So, how has life in Mineral Town been while I was gone?"

The farmer drew a blank. "Well, um..."

Popuri piped up from behind them, barely concealing a frightened, worried look. "Oh, Kai... I-It's been awful, honestly..."

Kai narrowed his eyes, an unusual expression on his face that Claire couldn't name, though it made her stomach churn. "Poppy... what happened?"

The pinkette sniffled, tears forming in her eyes as she led Kai away, presumably to find a more suitable spot to describe the events of the past week in private with her friend. Not that Claire minded. She didn't need another retelling of the massacre- she had enough nightmares about it already.

Claire turned away to find herself nearly colliding with another young woman, a girl with dirty blonde hair wearing a simple yet elegant black halter-top bikini. Though her elegance was slightly marred by the bottle of wine clutched in her hand.

"Karen?"

The girl grinned. "Ah, there you are, Claire! I was just wondering where you were. Why don't you come sunbathe with me and Mary?"

Karen led Claire to her little beach blanket set up near the water, where raven-haired Mary was curled up reading a book, a large sunhat perched on her head. She glanced up at the sun with a worried expression on her face and set her book down briefly, a small square of stiff paper stuck between the pages to preserve her spot.

"Oh, dear...this sunlight is awfully strong, don't you think?" She gestured toward her own pale arms and legs. "Look! I'm not made for this kind of activity, _sunbathing_- I'll be red and burnt as a roasted tomato by the time I get back home!"

The other two girls exchanged an amused glance, settling down on either side of the little librarian as she dug a bottle of sunscreen out of her bag and applied it to every inch of skin that was not covered by her green one-piece swimsuit, before adjusting her glasses and returning to her novel.

"Whatcha readin', Mary?" Claire asked after a few minutes had passed.

Mary glanced at the cover of her paperback before blushing awkwardly. "Ahem, it-it's nothing... just a novel, you see..."

They left it at that.

* * *

Hours later, as the sun was passing its highest point in the sky, the Mineral Town beachgoers gathered for lunch, as was customary during the Beach Day festival. The gossip trio- Manna, Sasha, and Anna- sat on the bench outside Kai's Snack Shack to share their meal and chat as usual, while their husbands gathered at the other end of the beach.

_Maybe to escape their wives' gossipy chatter for the time being? _Claire snorted aloud at the thought, earning herself a vaguely reproachful glare from Mary.

Her stomach growled just as Popuri approached the sunbathers with a request. "Hey, guys... you want to come eat lunch at the Snack Shack? Kai wanted to treat us all to a special summer meal... _and_ it's air conditioned."

The other girls nodded, and together they headed for Kai's Snack Shack, where they met up with Kai and, surprisingly, Gray. Kai grinned as they entered his modest establishment, offering them each a slice of the pizza he had made himself that morning. Meanwhile, Gray merely grumbled a welcome before returning to the ear of baked corn he had been munching. Claire had to admit, it was an extremely friendly gesture, coming from him.

She selected a slice of pizza, and Kai grinned at her. "If you're ever in the mood for something _else_, you can always stop by. I have all kinds of food on the menu- spaghetti, french fries, snow cones, you name it! It would be my pleasure."

Before Claire could say anything, he spoke up again, loud enough for the entire group to hear. "Ice cream, anyone? I just created a new flavor- pineapple, mixed with chunks of real fruit!"

Popuri smiled happily. "I'll take one of those, please!"

Karen nodded beside her- "Mint ice cream for me, if that's all right,"- while Mary requested a plain vanilla cone.

Claire pondered it for a moment. "Hmm... I'd like to try the pineapple, too."

Kai quickly scooped the ice cream into cones and handed them out, sure to save a pineapple cone for himself. And as embarrassed as Claire was to admit it, the dessert was really, _really_ good. Creamy layers of sweet yellow ice cream were laced with soft chunks of real pineapple, fresh and undeniably delicious.

After finishing up her frozen treat, Claire headed outside, where she spotted Rick rising from the blanket he was sharing with his mother, glaring at a certain someone behind the blonde farmer.

Rick scowled as she approached him, though it wasn't directed at her. He narrowed his eyes as he watched Kai flirting openly with his sister, the two of them now settling down comfortably by the dock after having followed Claire out the door.

"I should go over there and-"

Claire grabbed his shirt before he could move away to put his unfinished words into action. "Oh, no you don't. Don't you see how happy she is?" She gestured toward Popuri. "She's been depressed lately. It's kind of obvious. And you would be doing her wrong by taking her one source of happiness away from her. Just leave her alone, she's old enough to make her own decisions."

Rick's eyes widened as if he had something to say about Claire's demand, but instead he shook his head and walked away before the girl could utter another word.

Although she discouraged Rick's exaggerated hatred of Kai, Claire did have to agree that there was something fishy about that flirtatious young man.

_Strange that he should appear the day after the horrible attack on Ann... and he doesn't even seem all that shocked by it. Or was it just coincidence? Maybe he's good at hiding his feelings... but if I were him, I'd be a lot more concerned after hearing such news. Because I _know_ Popuri told him all about it._

Claire sighed- the way Kai had flirted with her, when Popuri had such obvious feelings for him, made her extremely uncomfortable as well.

Shrugging off her doubts for the time being, Claire strolled back to the other end of the beach, where Cliff and Elli had finally come to join in on the festivities. The young nurse was pulling her younger brother Stu and his best friend May behind her, all of whom were wearing swimsuits.

"Hey, guys! Glad you could make it!" Claire lowered her voice. "How's Ann doing?"

There was a tired look in Elli's eyes as she responded, "She's been giving us a... hard time. Seems to be developing a bit of a fever. We can only hope her wounds aren't becoming infected." She solemnly watched the two children scamper off across the sand toward the Snack Shack, where Kai was now offering free snow cones. "I can't stay too long, Trent might need my assistance."

Claire turned to Cliff. "What about you?"

He blushed. "I, uh... I'd like to get back to Ann as well... It just feels like I should be there for her."

Claire nodded in understanding. "I know exactly what you mean." And that she did.

* * *

After a quick dip in the ocean nearly an hour later, Claire was approached by the large, muscular man Zack, who came with an inquiry in mind.

"Hello, Claire... you came here with Lillia today, right? How did she look to you?"

Claire nodded. "Yeah... she looked okay. Why? What's the problem?"

Zack scratched the back of his neck with one hand, squinting in the bright sunlight. "I...I'm concerned for her."

Claire shrugged. "She seems fine to me."

"Yes, but you see, that's the nature of her disease. Sometimes she seems perfectly fine, but it's always there inside her, like a shadow following her every move."

Claire shivered at the creepily accurate comparison, despite the heat of the blazing sun.

Zack continued, "But it's not just that. I'm worried about how she's taking the... the attack on the Poultry Farm chickens. I'm sure she was devastated by their deaths, especially in such a manner..." He trailed off, releasing a sigh. "I just want her to be all right, you know?"

The blonde girl nodded- she did know. "Why don't you go join her, then? If you're so concerned for her? She looks lonely."

Zack's eyes widened slightly as he glanced over at Lillia on her blanket, enjoying sandwiches of some sort in the shade by herself. Claire could have sworn he was blushing.

"Ahem... Yeah, I think I should. Thanks, Claire."

"No problem."

Claire watched the older man walk away with the hint of a smile on her face, before turning around to get a face full of seawater.

"Argh!..."

A chorus of giggles followed her outburst, and two small forms darted out toward the ocean, one with a now-empty bucket in hand.

"May...? Get over here, you two!" Claire laughed, and she kicked off her sandals to chase the children into the surf, who then proceeded to douse her with more water, shrieking hysterically.

Catching sight of the skirmish, Kai scooped Popuri up into his arms and carried her into the waves against her will, laughing. Karen and Cliff soon joined them, the latter rather awkwardly at that, while Elli and Mary looked on from the shore, giggling as they relaxed on their beach towels.

Just another day at the beach.

* * *

Dusk soon began to settle in on the town. Elli had taken May and Stu back to their respective homes before returning to work at the Clinic, and many other villagers had left the beach as well. Kai assisted Zack in starting up a grand bonfire on the beach, a usual occurrence for Mineral Town's first night of summer.

The remaining young adults gathered around the flickering bonfire, pulling towels over their shoulders and damp hair that smelled of seawater, and spreading more over the sand for a place to sit.

Rick approached the others as the fire blazed higher, shooting Kai a disgusted look before addressing his sister. "We're going home... Popuri, you coming?"

Popuri shook her head stubbornly, crossing her arms in front of her chest in a defiant pose, much like a frustrated toddler. "No... I want to stay here longer. I'm a big girl now, Rick- I can handle myself."

Kai smirked at Rick in a vaguely taunting manner as he threw an arm around the pinkette. "Don't worry, your sister is safe with me."

Despite his misgivings, Rick knew better than to argue with his sister again, and merely scowled at Kai before turning to escort Lillia back home, who was waiting by the stone steps. With one last nervous glance at Popuri, he said, "Well, we really need to get going, so I'll give you another half an hour. But _promise_ me, Popuri, you'll be back before dark. You know it's dangerous at night. I'm not kidding."

Popuri shook her head as they left. "Thinks he's the boss of me..." Claire heard her mutter.

Kai gave the girl's shoulders a squeeze before bending over to grab the bag of snacks at his feet, tossing out a plastic package of marshmallows.

"S'mores, anyone?"

Claire found herself becoming ever closer to the other Mineral Town villagers as they ate, talked, and laughed together as friends, joking around and singing songs, telling stories. In fact, it was the most fun she had had in a long while. A chance to relax, and leave the farming and mysteries for another day.

That is, until she heard the noises.

"Did you hear that...?"

"Hear what?" Kai raised an incredulous eyebrow. "I didn't hear anything."

"Oh..." Perhaps she had imagined the sound. Yes, that was probably the case.

But as the bonfire blazed ever higher, Claire could have _sworn_ that she heard something out of the ordinary. What sounded like a wolf howl in the distance, the kind you hear in movies during a full moon.

Claire strained her ears, but heard nothing more to prove the sound's existence. "Er... Do any of you know what lives in the forests around Mineral Town? Like, up on the mountain? ...Animals or anything?"

To her left, Karen nodded, a little tipsy from the wine she had been drinking throughout the day. "Oh, yeah... some _spooky_ things up there."

The farmer's face blanched. "What kinds of things?"

_"...Monsters!"_ Karen waggled her fingers ominously at Claire, laughing as the blonde flinched involuntarily before sighing to herself. _So much for that idea._

And yet Claire still couldn't shake off her uneasiness.

_I hope Rick and Lillia made it home safely..._

After the random acts of violence Mineral Town had suffered, she doubted that the town would be able to handle another attack in such a short period of time.

* * *

**A/N: Well, I hope this nice long chapter was worth the wait- my longest chapter by far! It was fun to write. And I'm goint to try and update once a week from now on, hopefully every weekend. My last few weeks were much busier than usual, so it was difficult squeezing in some time to finish up this chapter. Unfortunately, school and work have a tendency to get in the way of more enjoyable hobbies. Plus, I had soccer playoffs throughout the month of October, which had me extremely exhausted every day, haha. But that's over now, so it's time for writing! :)**

**After taking on a multi-chapter fic of my own, I now understand why so many fanfics go unfinished! But don't worry, I will definitely finish this- I have the entire story all mapped out! It's just a matter of writing it down, haha. I hope you liked the chapter, and please drop a review while you're at it! I would appreciate it immensely. :)**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	11. A Possible Clue

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it means a lot to me. And the next chapter is **_**finally**_** finished! It's about time! I apologize for the late update. I had this chapter all written out ages ago, but then I lost the document on my computer. It literally just disappeared; I was so frustrated. And after a vigorous search of my computer files, I finally admitted defeat and rewrote the entire chapter. :(**

**Hopefully this won't happen again. Also, November is a very busy month for me, but I've created an update schedule on my profile as a means to keep my writing on track. The next few chapters should come a bit quicker, as I have the entire story planned out chapter by chapter now! There will be around 25 chapters total, so stay tuned.**

**I'm not even going to bother putting a warning on this chapter, because if you the read the previous chapters, you should be fine with this one. It's just a **_**little**_** gory. And yeah, this chapter is pretty short compared to the last one. Enjoy!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

* * *

Chapter 11: A Possible Clue

_Keep walking, keep walking, don't look behind you. Slow and steady, that's it._

_Just a few more steps, easy now. It's right ahead, I can see it from here._

_Huh? Oh, no... oh, no! Run! Run, it's coming! C'mon, let's go!_

_Just a little more! Hurry, hurry, hurry- run faster! We're almost there! Just one more step-_

_AAARGGGHHH!_

_It-It's right behind me!_

_Claire! No!_

Claire awoke with a jolt, nearly falling out of bed with the blankets tangled around her. She groaned and pressed her face to the sweaty pillowcase before flipping around onto her back, waiting for her unnaturally rapid heartbeat to return to normal. _Damn nightmares._

Crumpling her hair with one hand as her heartbeat slowed, Claire sighed before finally rising from the bed and untangling herself, Bailey yapping away right at her heels. Despite herself, Claire giggled. "Looks like somebody's hungry!" she said in an attempt to sound cheerful. It didn't quite work.

Bailey let out a single happy-sounding bark, and Claire prepared his breakfast as usual before stepping into the bathroom to wash up and change into a set of worn working clothes. Snatching a few slices of bread and some wedges of fruit from the kitchenette to make a fruit sandwich, Claire munched her breakfast at the table while watching Bailey attack his bowl of puppy chow with vigor, before throwing her messy blonde hair into a ponytail and heading outside to begin a new day of farmwork.

Outside, the early morning rays of sunlight were already very bright, making Claire squint. Her newest nightmare was already beginning to fade, and her mind wandered to thoughts of the night before as she left to grab her watering can from its place in storage.

_That festival was fun... and all the townspeople seem really nice. Most of them, anyway. _Claire smiled at the thought of all the friends she had already made in Mineral Town, but her grin faded slightly as certain problematic memories came flooding back.

_Urgh... keep it together, Claire. Just forget about it, that's not important right now. Farmwork is your top priority at the moment, and you don't want to be distracted._

Claire sighed as she crossed the yard to fill her watering can with water. Great, now she was talking to herself. Just awesome.

Watering can now filled to the brim, she headed for the patch of tilled soil where she had planted all her seeds the other day. There were no signs of sprouts yet as far as she could see, but they would come eventually. All in good time.

Claire whistled an indistinct melody as she watered her garden and then turned to the barn. Upon entering the large, slightly worn building, she approached her cow Clementine and set to work, refilling the feed bin, milking the cow, and brushing her coat. The young farmer cooed at the gentle animal as she gave her a loving pat on the head.

"There, now... good girl!"

Claire smiled as Clementine rubbed her nose against the farmer's shoulder affectionately. Perhaps owning a farm wasn't as difficult as she had once thought, after all. She just needed a bit of practice.

Stepping out of the barn and into the stable next door, Claire approached Thunder and brushed the horse as well, allowing him to munch an apple from her hand while she groomed him. A sudden idea struck her, and she grinned at the young stallion.

"Let's go out riding again, okay, boy?"

The horse whinnied in agreement. At least, that's what Claire liked to think. Strapping on his saddle and other tack, she led the dark brown horse outside into the sunlight. Claire released a breath of air- it was another gorgeous day, a perfect day for a horseback ride. That was one definite plus to Mineral Town- both the weather and scenery were amazing. And a ride on her horse through the sunshine would definitely be worthwhile, in more than one aspect.

* * *

The blonde farmer had just hopped onto Thunder's back and was debating where exactly to travel when she noticed a figure in brown standing near the entrance to Sunshine Farm. The man looked familiar from Claire's position on the horse, and her eyes widened in slight surprise. He had never seemed like the kind of person to come for a visit for no reason in particular.

"Cliff?" she called.

The man glanced around at the sound as Claire approached him on horseback, and a faint hint of pink tinged his cheeks. "Oh, uh... hello, Claire..."

Claire had never been an especially outgoing person, and she often had some difficulty in keeping a conversation going, but Cliff's awkwardness around others made her seem like a complete social butterfly at times. She stifled a giggle. "What is it that you came here for...?"

Cliff merely stared at the ground, scuffing his feet along the dirt.

"I-I just thought I'd... visit you, I guess. You probably don't get many visitors... you're still new here, and I...I-"

Up on her horse, Claire twirled a loose curl of blond hair around her fingers and nodded. "Sure... we could go do something, if you like. But... I was just about to go on a horseback ride..."

She trailed off as an idea came to mind. "Cliff... have you ever gone horseback riding?"

He shook his head, and the farmer smiled. "Well... why don't you come with me?"

Claire knew she didn't have another horse for Cliff to ride, but that was no problem. She gestured to the empty spot behind her on Thunder's back. The horse let out a whinny right on cue, as if giving his equine permission.

"Hop on!"

Her visitor's eyes widened at the suggestion, but he shook off his shyness and, with a bit of help from the farmer, stepped up to climb on behind her. Making a quick decision, Claire took off toward the bridge leading into the woods. Cliff blushed as he wrapped his arms around Claire's slim waist, but Claire didn't seem to notice.

Actually, she noticed it all right, but chose to ignore it for Cliff's sake.

They crossed the bridge and rode on into the forest. Upon coming to the three-pronged fork in the road, Claire had a sudden compelling feeling that she should take them down the path toward the mountain, the one path she had avoided completely during her time in Mineral Town so far. For some reason, she _had_ to go down that path. With a quick glance at Cliff, she turned past the roads leading toward Gotz's home and the Goddess Pond, heading down the center road instead.

Together, Claire and Cliff rode along in a serene sort of silence on Thunder's back, Claire well aware of the young man's arms resting cautiously against her abdomen. She let out a faint cough before finally opening her mouth to break the quiet.

"Cliff... what was the real reason you came to visit me? ...I mean, you don't seem like the type to just show up at someone's house out of the blue... it was kind of unexpected. And I doubt you came to simply ride horses."

Claire felt the young man's fingers tense. "...All right, Claire. I-I came to... I came because I needed someone to talk to." His face flushed, but his eyes remained sad. "You see... it's Ann."

The blonde stiffened at the mention of the innkeeper's daughter. "Ann? Why... what's wrong?"

"It's just... she's not doing too well. Her stomach... the gashes, they've gotten infected. Ann... she's in so much pain, and she's almost always asleep every time I visit her, barely moving. She hasn't spoken once yet... except to moan in pain. Ann used to be the one person I could talk to, but now..." He sighed. "In all honesty... it's been stressing me out. I-I'm just so concerned for her, I can't even sleep... And what if it happens again, to someone else?"

Now that he mentioned it, Cliff _did_ have some unusually dark circles under his eyes, as if he were seriously lacking sleep. And Claire had many things she wanted to say in response, mainly regarding the connection between the attack on Ann and the mysterious shadowy creature, but she instead hung her head in silence for a moment. Neither spoke, until Claire finally made an effort to change the topic.

"Well... are you enjoying yourself now, at least?"

Cliff nodded his head once, his expression brightening slightly, before he realized that Claire couldn't see him from her position on the horse. "Uh, I mean... yes."

Claire reached forward to rub her hand against Thunder's mane affectionately. "Maybe you should get a horse, Cliff. They're nice animals."

The brown-haired man beside her laughed once. "…And where would I put it, exactly?"

The blonde grinned. "I'm sure Doug wouldn't mind- he has an extra bed," she said jokingly, "...Or he could stay with with Duke and Manna! Give Manna someone else to talk to at home, since I don't think Duke really listens to her... You could leave him in the vineyard, haha."

"Yeah, and watch him eat all the grapes," Cliff snorted. "...Do horses even eat grapes?"

Claire laughed, and the young man blushed a bit, embarrassed. Her laughter cut off abruptly, and he craned his neck to see around her.

"Hey... what is this place?" Claire asked in wonder.

The woods had suddenly ended, and the path came out into a bright, sunshine-filled meadow. Claire squinted, unaccustomed to the blinding sunlight after their ride through the dimly lit forest. She took a second to allow her eyes to adjust before urging the horse forward.

"Whoa..."

Claire could only gasp in astonishment at the sight that unfolded before them. The sun beat down upon a lake, a gorgeous shimmering lake, whose surface sparkled in the sunlight like scattered diamonds. At the very center of the lake was a small island. For some reason, the entire scene reminded Claire of an image on a postcard.

"This is... not what I had expected, honestly." She turned around to face Cliff. "I thought this path led to the mountain."

He nodded. "Yeah... yeah, it does. Mother's Hill is up there."

He pointed a finger at a spot beyond the lake, and Claire peered past his arm to see the small mountain that stretched out not too far away. "I see..."

The mountain wasn't as big as she had expected, but even at this distance, there was a kind of menacing quality about it that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Shaking her head in an attempt to rid her mind of any bad feelings, Claire pushed Thunder to walk nearer to the edge of the lake. She quickly dismounted the horse, then helped Cliff make his way down.

"I would have thought you'd have ridden a horse before."

He shrugged. "I have... just not in a while. I-I guess I'm a little rusty."

Claire nodded and turned to approach the very edge of the lake, staring into its glassy, mirror-like surface as if transfixed.

"You would almost expect a... a mermaid, some kind of water spirit, to live here, down beneath the surface. It's so beautiful, so peaceful."

She stepped back quietly, and on an unspoken agreement, she and Cliff moved on past the lake toward Mother's Hill, leaving Thunder to wait for them in the meadow.

The walk toward the mountain was quiet, with very little conversation involved, but Claire still couldn't shake off her building feelings of anxiety. Something was calling her here, but she didn't want to know what it was, or why. Her heart beat faster. _We really shouldn't be here... Something bad is going to happen. Something bad and unexpected, I know it._

They entered a small copse of trees, and Claire stopped without warning. Caught off guard, she staggered backward, not hesitating to release a gasp.

"What...?"

Just beneath the closest tree, almost hidden from sight, lay a deer. A doe, to be precise. However, it was barely recognizable as such.

Blood. Blood was everywhere. Splattered across the nearest tree trunks, pooled in the surrounding grass. A mess of shredded fur, torn limbs, and savaged flesh. Claire gripped Cliff's arm in disgusted astonishment, and felt him stiffen beside her.

The only evidence proving the victim to be a deer, were the remains of the doe's head, nearly untouched. Claire stared, unable to move as her mind had become a muddled mess. Two cold, black eyes stared back at her, staring but never seeing, not anymore.

Smears of blood were congealing in the animal's remaining fur, and streaked across the grass and dirt around it, but the puddles still looked relatively fresh. Immediately, Claire was reminded of another similarly gruesome memory, and she fought the urge to vomit as they came flooding back into her mind.

_Blood... it's everywhere...No! _She cringed. _Chickens... Popuri...No, Clementine-_

"...Claire? Claire, snap out of it!"

A firm hand took Claire by the shoulder, and Cliff turned her around to face him, only to see that her eyes were full of tears threatening to spill over.

* * *

"Gotz!"

As nervous as she was about approaching the carpenter's house again, Claire figured that if anyone could help them figure out what killed the deer, it was the woodsman himself. _He must be able to help us out...right? Perhaps he's seen things like this before..._

She knocked on the door with one hand, her horse's rope in the other. Cliff stood a few feet behind her, looking distinctly unsettled. "Gotz?"

The door suddenly swung open as Gotz stepped out, his eyebrows furrowed. "Huh... Claire? And Cliff? What is it?"

The two younger adults looked at each other, still shaken. It was Claire who spoke up in a quivering voice, as Cliff occupied himself with nervously pulling loose threads from his vest.

Together, they led Gotz back to scene of the attack, explaining what they could, though it was hard to put such a horrible scene into words. Once he saw how shaken the couple was, Gotz wasted no time in accompanying them.

"Well..."

They came to the same thicket of trees as before. Cliff nervously pulled Gotz forward, while Claire stayed further behind with her horse. She couldn't bear to see it, not again.

Gotz stared at the scene in complete silence, not bothering to search around as they had expected him to. He simply twirled his beard and stared, not speaking, his only reaction to the brutal slaughter.

He turned to look at the younger couple, a strange expression on his face that Claire couldn't quite put a name to. He looked... concerned, but there was something else to it... as if he had seen it all before.

"Go home _now_. It's not safe in the forest. I-I can't tell you... but there's something wrong here. I've seen it before. Just go home!"

His voice was rough, and his eyes cold. Startled, Claire took a step back. "Uh..."

"I'm serious, you have to leave!" He sounded... almost angry. And an angry Gotz was not something that Claire wanted to contend with.

_Has he gone insane?_ Claire wondered. Regardless, she mounted her horse and helped Cliff get on behind her. Without a word of farewell or even a backwards glance, they rode away. It was just too unsettling. She narrowed her eyes in thought as they rode on in silence, but for the soft, repetitive _clop_ of Thunder's hooves.

_Was that... could that deer have been a clue?_ Maybe she should have looked around more, search the grove of trees for more clues, but that was one thing Claire _really_ didn't want to do.

Despite any misgivings, she took Gotz's advice, and after saying her farewells to Cliff back at Sunshine Farm, Claire locked Thunder up in the stable and headed indoors. Cliff told her that he was going to go see Ann at the Clinic again, and promised to pay a visit to Officer Harris concerning the new attack. As much as Claire wanted to join him, something held her back. She realized just how tired she really was- all her sleep had been haunted by nightmares, ever since her initial move to Mineral Town.

_I really need a nap..._ She yawned, her mind already growing fuzzy.

And so, Claire went back to bed, hoping for peaceful slumber as Bailey nestled against her stomach. Maybe a good, undisturbed rest was what she truly needed.

* * *

**A/N: So, this wasn't the most action-packed scene, especially in the beginning, but I hope you enjoyed reading regardless! I honestly don't know what the pairing would be yet for this story, or if I'll actually include one at all, but I guess Claire and Cliff had a bit of a moment there. And that whole thing with Claire looking into the lake was kind of an allusion to the Kappa, and my other MFoMT fanfic.**

**Anyway, keep a lookout for the next chapter, it shouldn't take too long! And any reviews would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	12. Dinner Guest

**A/N: I apologize for my slight delay in updating, but hey- it was still a lot quicker than the last update, haha. Anyway, keeping this note short and simple. This chapter should be a little bit more happy than previous chapters, so enjoy! It is kind of a filler chapter, but it does get a bit more interesting as the chapter goes on. And just as a little warning, there are some more references to the Harvest Goddess religion in this chapter, as Claire pays a visit to the church. **

**Also, thanks to everyone who read, followed, favorited, reviewed, etc.! It really does mean a lot to me, I can't stress that enough. :)**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

* * *

Chapter 12: Dinner Guest

As the first early morning rays of sunlight filtered in through the window, Claire opened her eyes. Her puppy Bailey stirred beside her, nestled in the crook of her knee. But rather than barking madly as usual at the sign of Claire's awakening, he merely yawned and curled back into a ball, blinking contentedly.

Claire's night of sleep had been surprisingly peaceful. There had been dreams, yes- there were always dreams to be had in slumber. Claire supposed they had been nightmares, as those were the only dreams she ever had as of late, but unlike the nightmares of the past few days, these weren't nearly as clear. Already, the nightmares had begun to fade into oblivion, so that the only memories remaining were the clouded, indistinct remnants of terrified emotion.

Now, Claire finally felt at ease. She was tempted to lay in bed for longer, snuggled in the warm comfort of the blankets, but that wasn't realistic. Farmwork was an everyday occurrence- _It may be the weekend,_ she reasoned sleepily, _but there's still just as much work to do around the farm as there is any other day of the week._

Finally deciding to start her day, Claire unsteadily rose from the bed, careful not to disturb the snoozing Bailey, and set out to get ready and start working.

Already, the daily acts of watering the garden, feeding the animals, milking Clementine, were becoming tedious. Not that Claire minded. She would much rather wake up to work the farm in the fresh air and sunshine, than go back to some boring day job in the city.

And work on Sunshine Farm was already getting easier for Claire. She could now milk the cow without spilling half the spoils (in fact, she only missed a few drops this time!), and the very first signs of sprouts could finally be seen in the tilled earth of the garden. Her farmwork took much less time today than it had in the past, and Claire couldn't help but smile to herself in satisfaction.

_Now to move on to the remaining events of the day... Hmm... What else is there to do in a small town like this? _

Claire wanted to do something new and different. Not horseback riding, she had just done that yesterday, and didn't want to wear out her horse by taking him out into the forest every day. Plus, the woods kind of creeped her out now, especially after her discovery of the butchered doe. Claire cringed at the very thought.

She didn't really feel like going to the beach, either, as she would have plenty of time to relax there with her friends over the course of the summer.

Claire paused in thought for a moment, and that's when the idea struck her.

Pastor Carter _had_ asked her to come visit the church sometime. And it was now the weekend, as well- the time of week that Claire's parents used to take her and her siblings to church back in the city, when they were quite young. Isn't that when most people go to church, anyway?

Though Claire was never a religious person by any means, and in fact had always despised the times her parents would force her to go, maybe it would be interesting to listen to one of Carter's sermons just this once. Surely, it would be a much different experience than the church back in the city.

Claire shrugged to herself. It would give her something to do, at least.

* * *

Pastor Carter stood just within the front doors of the church with his hands clasped together in front of him, smiling and greeting the few villagers who entered the miniature cathedral. His grin widened when he caught sight of the blonde farmer entering, her expression vaguely wary.

"Oh, Claire! It's nice to see you here again! I'm quite glad you decided to attend today!"

Claire smiled politely back at him before glancing around for an open seat in the pews. Not that it would be difficult to find one- really, the only people inside were Popuri and Cliff. The two children of Mineral Town, May and Stu, were also there, as well as the librarian, Mary, and her parents.

After a moment's indecision, Claire sat down to the right of Cliff, who was seated in the very front row. Popuri waved to her as she sat down at the bench directly behind them, her hot pink hair looking as vivid as ever.

Taking a look around at the church's interior, a memory of her welcoming party came to mind, and Claire couldn't help but smile to herself. _This was where it all began..._

Cliff smiled shyly at her, and she grinned back as Carter approached the podium at the front of the room, preparing to begin his sermon.

The church went silent as Carter cleared his throat, though that wasn't such a big accomplishment, as there were only a scattered few seated inside the church. His speech began, with tales of the Harvest Goddess, and her little fairylike helpers called Harvest Sprites... dreams of good fortune and plentiful harvests, and the Goddess's power to grant these wishes...

Something about the pastor's voice intrigued Claire somewhat, but made her rather sleepy as well. The way his words flowed, soft and steady, almost like the current of a trickling stream...

It was rather hot in the church, as sunlight streamed in through the many stained glass windows, and Claire felt herself dozing off slightly in the comfortable warmth. _Hmm... I'll just close my eyes for a second..._

Claire was jolted awake by a firm but gentle hand on her shoulder, and a quiet voice rang in her ear. "Claire... wake up..."

"Huh?!" Her eyes burst open as she jerked forward, and a soft, feminine giggle could be heard from the bench behind her. Popuri...

She glanced over at Cliff beside her, who looked vaguely concerned. "…Are you okay?" He whispered, his emotions portrayed more in his eyes than in words.

The blonde farmer stifled a yawn. "Yeah... I'm all right. Just tired, apparently." _Perhaps coming to the church wasn't such a good idea, after all..._

Nervously, she turned to look up at Carter, still speaking from his podium front and center. Though he must have seen Claire fall asleep in the front row, he didn't seem to let on.

The sermon ended in less than ten minutes after Claire's little sleeping incident. Carter turned away from the podium, his speech concluded, and Claire turned back around to face Cliff again, allowing a vague half-smile to cross her lips.

"So... erm, how was Carter's speech?"

A slightly disapproving frown drifted across Cliff's face, and he raised an eyebrow. "It was good... as usual."

"So you enjoy listening to his sermons, huh... You come here often, then?"

Cliff nodded. "Yeah... it's peaceful in the church, you know... I feel calmer here. I always make sure to visit every once in a while... though I used to come here much more often, when I didn't have that job at the winery. I-I didn't have much else to do... I didn't have many friends, so I started talking to Carter, and listening to the speeches he gives. They're pretty informative, actually."

Claire scratched the back of her neck sheepishly. "I kinda feel bad for falling asleep..."

Cliff smiled at her as he stood up to leave. "Don't worry about it, Claire. Carter... he's pretty easygoing, I'm sure he doesn't mind much."

The blonde nodded before standing up to follow him out. _At least I'm feeling very well-rested now..._

She passed Carter on her way out the door, and the pastor smiled slyly at her. "I hope you enjoyed today's sermon, Claire." He winked at her knowingly, and Claire blushed, embarrassed. "Come back again anytime, you're always welcome here. And may the Goddess bless you."

Outside the church, the sun was now beating down hot and bright, much more so than earlier. Claire was just considering going to the beach after all, when she noticed the young chruchgoers Stu and May standing nearby. Catching sight of the farmer, the two children quickly ran up to her, and Claire smiled at them in greeting.

"Hello, Claire!" May bounced on her toes in excitement, while Stu giggled impishly. "Hi, Miss Farmer Lady!"

"Hey, little Miss May and Mr. Stu! I saw you were at the church today," Claire said, playing along. "What are you up to now?"

It was Stu who answered. "Well, sometimes we listen to more of Mr. Carter's stories after church, but he said he was busy today..."

An innocently pleading look entered May's eyes. "Will you play with us, Claire?" The little girl pouted slightly. "You said you would! You _promised_!"

Stu quickly joined in the begging. "Yeah, c'mon and play with us! Please?"

Claire sighed in defeat. "Fine... you guys win."

The two children cheered.

"Let's go to the beach!"

"Yeah! Can you take us to the beach, Claire?"

Claire grinned- somehow, the kids' excitement was rubbing off on her, as well. "All right, all right! As long as your families know where you'll be, it's fine with me."

The children nodded enthusiastically. "Come on, let's go tell them!"

It looked like Claire really was going off to the beach, after all. With a few extra little handfuls, yes, but she didn't really mind. She didn't have that part-time job as a babysitter back in the city for no reason.

* * *

Hours later, Claire and the kids were just heading back home when they noticed Elli up on the road ahead, now leaving her work at the Clinic, it seemed. Catching sight of the children out of the corner of her eye, the young nurse quickly turned and approached them.

"Stu? What are you kids up to?" Elli looked up and, catching sight of Claire, let a grin fall across her face. "Bothering Claire now, are we?"

Stu folded his arms across his chest stubbornly, trying to look indignant but only managing to look childishly cute. "_No..._ we were just playing together! Claire likes playing with us, she took us to the beach!"

"Yeah!" May piped up from behind him. "It was a lot of fun!"

The brunette woman chuckled. "Oh, dear... well, it's almost dinnertime. May, you should run along back home, before your grandfather gets worried." She sighed. "It's not always safe to stay out so long..."

The little raven-haired girl nodded before darting away down the road. "Okay! Bye, guys!"

Elli turned back to her younger sibling. "Perhaps Claire wants to join us for dinner...?"

Stu, who had been sulking slightly as May left, perked up immediately. "Yes, can she? Claire, do you want to eat dinner with us?"

Claire nodded, grinning. "Sure!" _And now I won't have to make dinner for myself..._

"Thanks for agreeing to come," Elli said to Claire as they strolled down the road back toward the house where she and Stu stayed with their grandmother, next door to the mayor's house. "Stu seems to like you, and I'm sure Grandma Ellen will love to meet you, as well."

Claire merely grinned. "Well, of course I would come. I did say I would visit sometime, didn't I?"

Elli chuckled. "Yes... yes you did."

They came to the house within minutes. To Claire's surprise, the place where Elli lived with her brother and grandmother was extremely small- smaller than her own cottage back on Sunshine Farm, or even the apartment she used to rent back in the city. But it had a cozy feel to it, and Claire immediately felt right at home.

"I occasionally stay in an extra room at the Clinic," Elli explained, "but honestly, I prefer it here with Grandma and Stu. This way, I can take care of them more easily."

It only took Elli about half an hour to prepare dinner for four people. Claire offered to help, but Elli outright refused. "You're our _guest_, here."

So instead, Claire took the time to keep Elli's elderly grandmother Ellen company. The woman was very old, but friendly and warm, and seemed to enjoy having a friend of her granddaughter's over for a visit.

A warm, delicious scent soon wafted throughout the tiny home, and Elli quickly prepared plates of grilled fish, baked corn, and fresh rolls for everyone seated at the dinner table. Stu grumbled at the sight of the fish on his plate, and pushed it off to the side with his fork, focusing on the corn instead. His sister frowned slightly, but said nothing.

Halfway through dinner, a knock was heard at the door, and Elli got up from her seat beside Claire to answer it. She paused at the door, her hand resting against the silver doorknob, fingers gently curled around its smooth handle. Elli turned her head to glance around the room, and though Claire pretended to be totally immersed in her plate of food, she couldn't ignore the genuinely fearful expression on the other girl's face. Both Ellen and Stu were completely oblivious, however, and it went on as if nothing had happened.

The door opened with a slight creak, and Elli stifled a gasp.

"Oh...? Trent-"

A conspicuous blush spread across the brunette's cheeks, and she opened the door wide enough for Claire to view their visitor directly. Doctor Trent stood in the door frame, still wearing his clean white doctor's coat over a green shirt and khaki pants, his hands tucked into the pockets.

Elli smoothed down her skirt, in an attempt to hide how flustered she really was at the surprise visitor. "Ahem... Do come in, Dr. Trent! I've just finished preparing dinner. Perhaps you'd like to join us...?"

The dark-haired young man merely nodded, a serious look in his eyes. Elli backed away from the door, and he stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him with a soft _click_.

Elli hurried over to the kitchenette to prepare another plate of food as Trent took a seat in the one remaining chair where Elli had been seated moments previously, between Stu and Claire. The young boy poked him in the shoulder as a sort of childish greeting, and Trent's expression softened slightly. Grandma Ellen smiled at the doctor from her chair.

"Hello, Trent... Nice seeing you here, so unexpectedly. What is it that you needed? Or did you just come for a meal? You know you're always welcome," a knowing grin flashed across her wrinkled face, "Elli sure doesn't mind making extra for you."

"Ahem... It's good to see you again as well, Miss Ellen. But I actually came here to-"

He was interrupted by the _clink_ of a china plate against the table, as Elli set the meal down in front of him. She beamed. "Here we are, Trent! So nice of you to visit!"

The young woman looked positively ecstatic. And positively nervous. Claire, however, feeling an inexplicable sense of distrust, frowned at the man.

"What about Ann?"

Trent turned around to stare at the blonde, and Claire cleared her throat to speak again, more loudly this time. "Isn't Ann back at the Clinic? You shouldn't leave her alone..."

The doctor looked vaguely surprised. "I... her father's sitting with her at the moment, as I only needed to step out for a minute..." He glanced back at the young nurse beside him. "Elli... I must have a word with you, regarding our patient... privately, if you please."

Elli's pale brown eyes widened slightly and she gave a solemn nod, all previous traces of cheerfulness leaving her face. "I understand, Doctor... Here, we can talk in my room... Excuse us for a moment, Claire, Grandma."

They ate in silence, waiting for Trent and Elli to return to the table. Minutes passed, until the young pair finally returned from their secret discussion. Claire couldn't help but notice the grave expressions on the couple's faces. Questions were burning in her mind, but the farmer decided it would be best to act as if nothing had happened. Not while Trent was there, at least.

Elli forced out a grin as the doctor turned to leave, holding out a container of fish, corn, and bread for him. "Here... take these along with you, share some with Doug, maybe. You're probably hungry over at the Clinic, with all that work on your hands all the time."

Trent smiled in gratitude as he took the bowl from Elli's hands, though his thoughts still seemed far away. "Thank you, Elli. I appreciate it."

"Goodbye, Trent!"

The doctor raised a hand in farewell before turning out the door. Claire swiveled in her chair to face Elli, who was just returning to her seat beside the blonde.

"What was _that_ all about?"

"...What?"

"...You know."

Elli refused to meet Claire's eyes. "It's nothing, Claire." She spoke up louder, for both Grandma Ellen and Stu to hear as well. "Just a little talk between the doctor and I. He needed to know... something about the medicines we're giving Ann."

Claire narrowed her eyes. "And that's it..?"

"Yes."

The farmer opened her mouth to ask another question, but Elli interrupted her.

"Claire, please..." The brunette shot her a vaguely irritated glance before nodding her head at Ellen and Stu opposite them, a whisper escaping her lips. "Not in front of Grandma and Stu."

Claire blushed. She hadn't meant to sound so persistent. Hopefully, Elli would still invite her over to dinner again, as she didn't want to cause a break in the relationship they were forming.

Elli, however, didn't seem too perturbed, and the rest of dinner went on with no issues and a good deal of small talk. She even invited her back for dinner again- "You're welcome to come for dinner anytime you like, Claire. Thank you for coming tonight, I know Grandma enjoyed your company especially."

She smiled at the blonde farmer, but Claire found it surprisingly difficult to return the grin. _What was that whole conversation between Trent and Elli all about?... Ugh, if only I knew!_

Claire groaned in frustration as she returned home, lost in thought. It seemed that no matter where she went in Mineral Town, there was no escaping this mystery.

* * *

**A/N: Gosh, I just realized how long it's been since I last played this game, haha. It made the dialogue a tad bit difficult to write, bqut I tried my best with it. Hopefully the characters aren't OOC or anything... if there's one thing I hate, it's a character who's way out of character.**

**And yeah, Claire does have siblings in this story, though they don't live nearby. They haven't really been mentioned much, but I'll go into Claire's past and family life more in a later chapter. In fact, I have a sort of mini-plotline coming up regarding a certain family member of hers. :)**

**Also, I'm pretty sure Elli sleeps at the Clinic with the Doctor in the game, but I like to think that she comes home daily to sleep and cook for her grandmother and Stu. Again, I'm not exactly sure, as I haven't played the game in so long. XD**

**As always, I hope you enjoyed this nice little chapter! Go ahead and drop a review while you're at it, I would really appreciate it! And Chapter 13 should hopefully be finished... eventually, haha. Stay tuned!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	13. Secrets and Suspicions

**A/N: Well, would you look at that. I'm back. And hopefully for good this time, haha. I apologize for the unexpected absence, but I've been on hiatus for the holiday season. Now that it's all over, I'll try my very best to stay on track! I also spent a lot of time going over and editing the last twelve chapters, so please check them out again if you need a bit of a refresher! I did change a few small details- fixing grammar mistakes, adding another sentence here or there, that sort of thing. **

**Anyway, lots of dialogue coming up in this chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

* * *

Chapter 13: Secrets and Suspicions

A gusty breeze, ripe with the sweet scent of summer, whipped Claire's hair across her face as she made her way to the Mineral Town Clinic. Slightly frustrated, she attempted to brush her bangs back with one hand, without success. Her tangled golden tresses were especially persistent today.

A few vaguely threatening darker clouds drifted across the sky, giving the entire town an uneasy, almost ominous atmosphere, and the breeze had picked up considerably since Claire had finished her farming earlier that morning. The blonde frowned- she desperately hoped a storm wasn't coming. Let's just say she wasn't a huge fan of storms.

_If this wind picks up any more, my fields will be littered with fallen branches... and if it rains, it'll get all muddy. Ugh, and I just watered my crops, too… I probably shouldn't have even bothered._

The farmer sighed. It had been quite a few days, nearly a week, since the night she had eaten dinner at Elli's house. And memories of this event were what reminded her to visit Ann at the Clinic again today.

Honestly, Claire was feeling slightly nervous about it. Of course, the other Mineral Town villagers would expect her to visit Ann somewhat regularly, and it wasn't that she didn't want to. She did. But the thought of the injuries that the girl had sustained... and seeing Ann hurting and weak in a hospital bed made Claire feel almost nauseous.

She didn't want to be reminded of the attack. She didn't want to be reminded of anything. Sometimes, she just wanted to forget the entire mystery and simply leave it up to someone else to figure out. Mayor Thomas, maybe, or Officer Harris. She was just a simple farmer girl now, after all- she wasn't a _detective._

But then, looking back on her time in Mineral Town so far, Claire recalled the kindness Ann had shown her, before the girl's untimely injury. She remembered Popuri's cheerfulness, the happy-go-lucky attitude she displayed around others, before it was all stripped away by the effects of the deaths of her feathery loved ones. The despair in Rick's eyes as he examined the scene of the massacre in horror.

And Claire realized that, whether she liked it or not, she _had_ to be the one to solve this mystery. It was a just feeling she had, one that pulled at her gut and tugged at her heart, urging her to get up and _do_ something. Perhaps it was a calling from the Harvest Goddess herself. Who knows.

Either way, Claire had a feeling that she had been sent to Mineral Town for a reason. And maybe this was her reason.

* * *

"Hello?"

Claire entered the Clinic cautiously and quietly, so as not to disturb those inside with a brazen surprise appearance. Elli was perched calmly at her desk, as usual, sorting through notes or files of some sort. Doctor Trent, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen, most likely off caring for his patient or perhaps working on something in his office in the back room.

"Oh..." The young nurse smiled at her visitor, and tucked a short stand of mousy brown hair behind her ear as she folded up her papers and stacked them neatly on the desktop. "Hello there, Claire. I'm guessing you've come to visit Ann again, then?"

Claire nodded, slightly unnerved by the nearly indiscernible edginess to Elli's tone, masked by a smile and faux cheeriness. Though of course she didn't say anything about it. Something was making the nurse uneasy, that was for sure, but Claire wasn't going to be the one to pry this time.

Elli stepped up and beckoned with one hand as she led Claire to Ann's room in the Clinic, whispering, "Doug's in there right now, and Karen as well, but you can go right ahead. Just be quiet, please- Trent advised us all to try our best not to disturb her in any way while she's resting."

Claire bobbed her head again in acknowledgement of Elli's words, and entered the room to find Doug sitting at a chair beside his daughter's bed, a small bowl of untouched miso soup on the table next to him. To the right of the door, Karen stood leaning against the wall, legs crossed and arms folded across her chest. She turned to face Claire directly as she muttered a greeting, and the farmer caught an undeniable, albeit relatively faint, whiff of alcohol about her.

Over on the bed, Ann seemed to be asleep. Her eyes were closed, and her chest was slowly raising and descending in a gentle, rhythmic motion. At first glance, the girl looked at peace, but that was simply not the case.

For her face was marred by a thick black bruise, a dark splotch that surrounded the swollen lump on her forehead. And though only the girl's face was visible, Goddess only knows what her other injuries looked like beneath the blankets. Claire didn't especially want to find out, either.

Ann began to stir beneath the bedcovers, and suddenly, her eyes opened, flickering around the room to finally rest upon her father's face. Doug forced out a smile as a means to reassure his daughter, though he was unable to hide his look of concern.

Ann opened her mouth as if to speak, but all that came out was a groan. Her eyes suddenly squeezed tightly shut.

"Ugh... It hurts."

Springing into action, Karen immediately removed herself from her spot against the wall and called out into the main foyer, "Elli... Elli, come here! Ann's awake... and it sounds like she's in pain."

An exclamation was heard from the young nurse, and less than a minute later, Elli appeared with Dr. Trent at her heels.

Meanwhile, Ann had begun to squirm in pain, eyelids still squeezed shut. "M-My... it-it hurts."

Her words could barely be deciphered, as they were whispered faintly in a voice fraught with pain. At once, Dr. Trent jumped up to reassure her. "Ann... please, just hold still a moment."

Elli stepped up beside the doctor to assist him, a few bottles of indistinguishable medications clutched in her hands, presumably produced to ease the pain and fight infection in the wound.

Claire looked away, as she had no intention to view Ann's injury a second time. Though she couldn't help but notice the way Karen turned her head to stare out the window, tapping a foot against the floorboards nervously; or how Doug's eyes, already tinged with red, had begun to water.

Finally, the two medical practitioners simultaneously stepped back. Dr. Trent managed a vaguely hopeful grin, marred only by the traces of inexplicable regret in his eyes. "I think Ann's going to be all right," he whispered, "at least...the infection has cleared up somewhat. And she seems much more alert."

Behind him, Ann's pain had begun to wear off as a result of the medication, and she tilted her head slightly to see the room more clearly. "Karen, Claire... nice to see you guys again."

A flicker of amusement danced in the brunette's eyes, despite her ordeal. Karen simply shook her head, hiding the hint of a grin, while Claire smiled sadly.

Ann then glanced over at her father, sitting in his chair, and her expression changed. She smiled as tears formed in her eyes.

"Daddy..."

Doug smiled back at her, and Karen took this as her cue to leave. "Ann should have some family time with her dad... Come on, Claire, let's go."

Karen beckoned her out to the lobby, before heading straight out the door with only a curt wave goodbye. Claire turned to follow her, despite the burning questions she had for Ann, but first...

The blonde turned toward Elli, who had followed the other two girls out into the front lobby.

"Elli, I just thought I should ask... how has Ann been this past week?"

The nurse pondered for a short moment. "Well... she's had a fever from the infection, and she's been practically out cold all week, only waking up for the necessities. It's bad." She made a face. "And her wounds have had some... erm, _drainage_, if you will, but you don't want to hear about that. Nasty stuff, really."

"Did she... did she say anything about her attacker?" Claire crossed her fingers, hoping for information, but Elli merely shook her head.

"Unfortunately, no. We went through with the interrogation with Officer Harris and the mayor, asking her questions, but she said she couldn't remember anything. Ann... she said that remembered walking back from the Hot Springs, and suddenly she felt an immensely powerful force come crashing into her, knocking her to the ground. She hit the pavement and blacked out at that point, and couldn't recall anything afterward, until she woke up in the Clinic."

"Oh..." Claire made an effort to hide her disappointment. "That's too bad... Well, bye then, Elli. I'll see you again soon."

"Goodbye, Claire. And thank you for stopping by."

Turning to walk outside, the blonde girl could barely hold back her newly mixed feelings of sadness, anger, and puzzlement. And again, she vowed to somehow discover the culprit... no matter what she needed to do in the process.

_But who could it be...? Honestly, there are so many unanswered questions to this case. First, there was Gotz acting rather suspiciously. And then there's Kai, who just so happens to come back to town the day after Ann is attacked...Plus, Elli and Dr. Trent had been acting rather oddly lately, as well._ Claire's face paled as another memory entered her mind.

_Or... there's always the shadow...thing... _Her heartbeat quickened at the very thought.

If only she knew the answers. Then this mystery would be a whole lot easier to solve.

_But then again,_ Claire reasoned,_ if we already knew who the culprit is, then there wouldn't be a mystery in the first place, now would there?_

* * *

The young blonde farmer had just exited the Clinic when she was met with bright rays of sunshine that nearly blinded her. There was barely a cloud in the sky. _Well, so much for that storm..._

As soon as she set foot onto the street, Claire caught sight of a familiar figure walking toward her, a violet bandana wrapped around his head. _Well, speak of the Kappa. Kai..._

Upon noticing the blonde girl, Kai immediately perked up and began moving faster in her direction, one hand raised in greeting. "Hey, Claire!"

She stared at him. Because something wasn't quite right with this picture... For one, Kai's shirt was ripped, and for another, his pants were coated in a layer of dirt.

"Umm, hey Kai," she managed to tear her eyes away from his odd appearance to stare him directly in the face, "...Er, what exactly are you wearing?"

Ignoring her scrutinizing glare, the bronzed boy smiled brightly, flashing two perfect rows of straight white teeth. "Oh, this? Haha, it's nothing, really. I was just doing some repairs around the Snack Shack, and things got a little... messy."

"Oh..." Claire said aloud, though she didn't completely believe it. "Sure. Umm, anyway, what's up?"

He grinned again. "I was actually just wondering... did you want to go have lunch over at the Snack Shack with me? You remember, how I asked if you would like to sometime, back at the Beach Festival... I though today would be the perfect day to fulfill that promise, eh? Spend some time at the beach. It's a great day."

The farmer, however, shook her head. "I-I don't even have my swimsuit with me..."

Kai laughed, waving a hand to dismiss her comment. "That's fine... We don't have to go swimming. Actually, I really just wanted to ask you to join me for a little lunch date. On me, of course."

Claire thought she may as well admit defeat. It wasn't like she had anything left to do today... and honestly, Kai really was quite a good cook.

"Okay."

The young couple walked on through Rose Square, toward the stone staircase leading down to Mineral Beach. Upon reaching the golden sands of the shore, Claire stripped off her shoes to continue the rest of the walk barefoot, savoring the relaxing way the warm, tiny particles of sand sprinkled over her toes. Not long after, they reached the door to the Snack Shack, the small, painted wooden building on the beach beside Zack's house and the Mineral Town dock.

Kai pulled the door open for Claire, acting as a gentleman, and together they stepped into the cool air-conditioned dining room. He led the blonde girl through a backdoor into the kitchen.

"So, what'll it be? Probably not pizza... You already had my pizza at the Beach Festival, so I guess you'd want to try something different."

Claire shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Anything you feel like making, I'm fine with."

"Hmm..." Kai began rummaging through the refrigerator for meal ideas, pushing aside various cartons of juice and miscellaneous ingredients in the process. "How about... spaghetti?"

Claire nodded. "Yeah... that sounds fine."

Kai grinned apologetically. "It's leftover from dinner last night, actually. I hope you don't mind. It would take too long to cook up a new batch, anyway, and there's no point in letting this go to waste."

"Sure," Claire muttered indifferently, and she wandered back out into the dining room as Kai hurried to reheat the cold spaghetti and gather up utensils. The farmer chose a small table for them to sit at, right beside the window where she could stare out at the sea and sand as she waited. Though she didn't have to wait long.

"Here you go!"

To her surprise, there was only one bowl of spaghetti on the tray he brought out, along with two forks, two glasses of lemonade, and two small side salads on separate plates. Kai scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "I hope you're all right with sharing the pasta... all my other bowls and stuff are in the dishwasher."

"Oh... um, yeah, it's fine." Claire's stomach growled after these words, and the girl blushed in embarrassment, but Kai merely laughed.

"All right, then... let's eat!"

They dug in, pausing only to take part in some light chit-chat. Uncomfortable as Claire was, Kai managed to make her feel a little less awkward with his warm smile and friendly jokes. They chatted about all sorts of random topics as pasta noodles were twirled around their forks and ice cubes clinked in their lemonade glasses. And Claire soon found herself explaining her own reasons for moving to Mineral Town.

In response to her story, Kai mentioned a few of his _own_ reasons for staying at the small rural town. "This is actually a really great town. Small, but nice. Hot summers, beautiful scenery... and great people, too. " He winked at Claire, but then his voice lowered. "...And truthfully, it's nice being able to get away from my family like this. Can't really say my parents are the best, because they're not."

Claire had half a mind to ask Kai about any strange _goings-on_ in town throughout his years of visiting, but she managed to suppress these urges, and focused instead on what Kai was currently telling her.

"Why don't you like your parents?"

He shrugged. "I don't know... Let's just say we don't get along very well." Claire waited for him to go into further detail, but instead, he drifted off into silence.

Together, they finished up their luncheon as a wave of contentedness swept over them. Claire smiled, and Kai grinned back at her, though there was a funny look in his eyes that the farmer couldn't quite put a finger on.

Was it just her imagination, or was he steadily inching closer to her...?

Kai lifted a hand to pick up the silverware on the table, and for a brief moment, his fingers brushed against the skin of her wrist as he took the fork from her side of the table. Despite herself, Claire blushed.

Still smiling, Kai leaned forward until his face was mere inches from her own, and Claire froze.

"So... how did you like the spaghetti?"

"Huh?" Claire spluttered.

_Oh, Goddess... And here I was thinking that I was possibly about to receive an unwanted make-out session, or something..._ She shuddered at the thought. Not that Kai wasn't attractive- quite the opposite, in fact- but that just would have felt... wrong. On so many levels. _Especially _when Popuri was so obviously infatuated with the tanned traveler. And he seemed to like the pinkette, too, so Claire couldn't figure out why he seemed so intent on flirting with her.

Or maybe Claire was overreacting, and Kai wasn't actually flirting with her. Maybe he was just trying to act friendly toward a new neighbor.

"Ahem... it was really good! Honestly," Claire responded, inwardly sighing in relief. Kai smiled at her appreciatively. He got up from his chair to return their silverware to kitchen, and came back minutes later with a stack of fresh pineapple slices in his hand, which he offered to Claire. She refused, and so he shrugged and bit into a particularly juicy chunk of the sweet yellow fruit.

"So... I guess I'll be seeing you at the Chicken Festival next, then?"

Claire raised an eyebrow. "_Chicken_ Festival?"

Kai nodded his head in earnest. "Yeah, the festival's tomorrow... Don't tell me you didn't know?"

As a matter of fact, she didn't know. That is, until now.

"Well... actually, I didn't," Claire admitted, "But I'd like to come! What's it all about, anyway?"

Kai shrugged, popping another sliver of pineapple into his mouth. "Well, there's this chicken contest that goes on in Rose Square. Some people come in from out of town, too, mainly chicken breeders and a few tourists, so a few of the Mineral Towners set up their own little stands. Like, Doug usually sells food at a stand promoting his Inn, and... _Popuri_ will be selling chickens and poultry supplies, obviously."

Claire didn't miss the deliberate way Kai had avoided saying Rick's name, as she had a feeling that Rick would actually be the one organizing the Poultry Farm's booth in the festival. _Goddess, those two must really hate each other..._

As she left the Snack Shack that afternoon, Claire realized that Kai's issue with Rick wasn't the only secret he wasn't sharing. _Why _has_ he been spending this time with me, when he and Popuri are practically an official couple? The whole 'sharing the spaghetti bowl' thing, and that look in his eye when his hand brushed against mine... I mean, he barely even knows me... Is he just trying to get to know me as a friend? Because truthfully, it just makes me extra uncomfortable._

_And another thing- was Kai telling the truth about the Snack Shack repairs? Or was he just trying to cover up his true actions? Because I didn't see any signs of a repair job at the restaurant..._

Honestly, Claire couldn't help but feel vaguely suspicious of the tanned traveler. Something about him... he seemed nice enough, but something about him felt dishonest, in a way. As if he were keeping secrets.

But then again, Claire had a nagging suspicion that secrets were actually the norm in Mineral Town.

* * *

**A/N: So, I hope people are still reading this. Because trust me, the ending will be well worth your time (hopefully). Not saying any more. But I'll probably update faster with reviews, just because they have the power to motivate me to get things done. It's the same with any writer here, really.**

**Part of the reason my updates have been so slow lately is that I've been working on another fanfiction, which hasn't been posted yet. I was actually planning on posting the new longfic at the start of summer, when I'm **_**at least**_** halfway through, because it's going to be one **_**long**_** and detailed fanfiction that I've spent a lot of time on already. Either way, it is the first book of three in a series I'm working on, and will be found somewhere in the Harvest Moon Crossovers section when I consider it ready.**

**Thanks for reading! And if you could please leave a review, it would honestly make my day! I always read every review I receive, multiple times, haha. **

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	14. The Chicken Festival

**A/N: So, I had exams this past week, which would explain why I've been quite a bit less active here recently. And my birthday was just a few days ago; I feel so old. ****Thank you, everdistant utopia and Hershey for leaving reviews on the last chapter! It really means a lot to me. :)**

**In regard to the Chicken Festival coming up in this chapter- I did change this festival and the contest around a little bit for story purposes. Because cockfighting is illegal, haha. ****Look out for references to characters from other Harvest Moon games in this chapter!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

* * *

Chapter 14: The Chicken Festival

The sound of loud, lively chatter and an accompanying array of chicken noises met Claire's ears as she stepped into Rose Square at exactly noon. The symphony of the Chicken Festival.

The day was another gorgeous one, and the blonde farmer had made an effort to get all her work done early that morning, so she would have enough time to relax at the festival, without having to rush back to the farm for anything.

Taking in the various sights and smells of the festival, Claire observed a few food stands in the plaza with portable grills set up beside them, releasing the delectable scent of grilled fish and vegetables into the air. At the closest booth, Kai was grilling large shrimp on skewers, ears of corn, and thin wedges of pineapple, a cooler full of snow cones and refreshments at his side. The smells from that area alone made Claire's stomach rumble.

Further away, Doug had his own large food stand set up, promoting the Mineral Town Inn. Customers ate at a low wooden counter on short bar stools, where they could watch as Doug cooked up their food and served it to them on plastic plates.

Despite his stand's already obvious popularity at the festival (judging from the smiling faces of his customers), which had to be good business for the Inn, Doug himself looked rather worn down and weary. He passed out plates without so much as a smile, his eyes lowered, not bothering to make eye contact with anyone. Claire felt her heart tug at the sight.

_He probably misses Ann's help for this_ _festival… In fact, I bet he would rather be at the Clinic with her right now, but couldn't pass up on this arrangement._

She winced as an image of Ann entered her mind, her long hair braided and tied with a simple white bow to keep it out of her face as she assisted her father in grilling up meals, presenting them to customers with a smile and a good-natured laugh.

_Get it together, Claire… this is a festival. It's supposed to be _fun_. No… bad thoughts for you today._

Next to Doug's booth, Duke and Manna also had their own little stand, where they were selling wine and glasses of grape juice fresh from their winery. To Claire's slight surprise, Cliff wasn't with them.

_He's probably at the Clinic with Ann right now,_ Claire realized. For some reason, an inexplicable wave of disappointment washed over her.

Even Saibara the blacksmith had his own booth, the small shelves on his counter stocked with glittering pieces of jewelry; bracelets, necklaces, and earrings adorned with brilliant gemstones that sparkled in the sunlight. The old man sat in a chair directly behind the counter, while his grandson Gray sat a bit further back, in the shade of one of the large oak trees outlining the square.

The young man's eyes flickered around the town square impassively, watching people come and go without a second glance. Claire considered approaching him, but stopped herself. Though that sapphire brooch at the blacksmith's stand was rather pretty… the way its smooth surface shone in the light of the sun... and it matched her own eyes near perfectly.

Gray caught sight of her staring at the sapphire brooch and frowned, causing Claire to turn away with a blush. Heaving a sigh, the farmer reasoned that she most likely didn't have the money to pay for the lovely piece of jewelry, anyway.

Another stand, even larger than Doug's, had a small fence wrapped around one corner of the square, with a variety of chickens running around and squawking from within. Popuri was kneeling among the chickens within the fence, and Claire could hear her talking softly to the birds as she lovingly stroked their feathers.

Finally, in the very center of Rose Square stood a flat, circular stage of some sort, beside a short wooden podium. The mayor stood whispering to a group of others she didn't recognize to the left of the stage, and Claire almost wished she could hear what they were saying.

Most people Claire saw were Mineral Town villagers that she recognized by now without effort, though there were others in the square as well; tourists, she assumed. Though not very busy at all, there _was_ a select amount of tourism to Mineral Town in the summer. The shopkeepers in town, Doug and Kai especially, had to get their business from _somewhere_, after all.

Claire wandered back toward the booth promoting Kai's Snack Shack. Upon catching sight of her golden head of hair, Kai beamed and beckoned the farmer over with a wave and cheerful greeting.

"Hey, Claire! Nice to see that you made it to the festival!"

She nodded, and Kai turned to lift a slice of pineapple from the grill, which he promptly wrapped in a napkin and handed to her.

"Here…you've got to try this! Have you ever had grilled pineapple?"

Claire shook her head before inspecting the pineapple chunk, which bore blackened stripes from its time on the grill, and had acquired a sticky, caramelized texture. She bit into the fruit tentatively, and a deliciously sweet flavor entered her mouth, tantalizing her taste buds.

"Mmm… Kai, this is really good!"

Kai rolled his eyes and laughed good-naturedly. "Well, duh! _I_ made it!"

He turned back to his grill. "You can help yourself to as much as you want, Claire. No charge!"

Claire shook her head. "No… I couldn't possibly do that."

But Kai merely waved a hand. "C'mon, Claire… we're friends here, right?"

The blonde found herself shaking her head in agreement. "Yeah… we're friends…" _Even if you still make me uneasy…_

_But forget about that. This is a festival… a time to have some fun, relax after a hard morning of farm work… no worrying for you, missy. And Kai isn't bad at all! In fact... he's really nice... and rather attractive..._

Claire shook her head to rid herself of the strange thoughts that had entered just for the moment.

_Ugh… and I really have to stop talking to myself so much… break that habit, Claire._

Shaking her head again, she lifted her hand to accept another slice of grilled pineapple from Kai. _Delicious..._

* * *

After another loop around the festival booths, Claire approached Popuri at the Poultry Farm's stand, intent on purchasing a few chickens. She _had_ acquired a small bit of money from Clementine's milk and a few foraging escapades into the forest, which had produced bunches of wild grapes and jars of honey, as well as a variety of colorful grasses that had some medicinal value.

Popuri jumped up as the blonde girl stepped up to the fence, both hands raised to adjust her headband. She smiled warmly. "Hiya, Claire! How are you liking the festival so far?"

Claire grinned back. "It's pretty nice."

The pink-haired chicken farmer nodded in agreement. "Yeah... the Chicken Festival is one of my absolute favorites." She took a step closer, hands clasped behind her back as she teetered on her toes, and a sudden idea struck her. "Hey, you want to come in and say hello to the chickens? I was just about to feed them."

"Um... sure."

Popuri grasped Claire's wrist and led her into the chicken pen, helping the other girl step over the low white fence that enclosed the poultry. The pinkette then raised a fistful of corn kernels from her apron pocket and scattered them across the ground. The chickens immediately began clucking with excitement, and surrounded the two girls in a flurry of feathers in their haste to snatch up as much corn as they could.

Popuri giggled at their eagerness, and called each hen out by name as they scuffled at her feet.

"Hello, Lola! Hello, Phoebe! Hi there, Cheyenne! Settle down, girlies! There's enough for everyone here!"

Claire hesitantly interrupted her exchanges. "Do you have chickens for sale? Because I still wanted to buy one, or two… I would have bought them earlier, but…"

She trailed off, unwilling to bring up the event that had prevented her from buying chickens in the first place.

Popuri's eyes narrowed at the memory, and she nodded. "Yupp, of course we have chickens for sale! In fact, most of the chickens we brought over for the festival are ones that Rick was planning on selling. Except the ones he's entering in the contest, of course. Those are his prized chickens… they lay our highest quality eggs!"

Her eyes shone with delight as she continued. "Rick's really hopeful that they might win the Poultry Farm first prize! It'll be hard, though… some great chicken breeders and farmers from nearby towns and villages came in just for the Chicken Festival's contest. Most of them are staying at Doug's Inn for the time being, which is difficult for Doug… I mean, the business is good, but without Ann to help him…" She trailed off with a sullen expression on her face.

Claire broke the moment of uneasy silence with a question. "So... which can I take?"

Popuri shrugged. "It doesn't matter. A number of these chickens don't even have names yet, so you can just choose whichever one you like best and possibly even name her yourself!"

"Umm…" Claire glanced around awkwardly at the hens pecking around her feet, unsure of a likely candidate.

"Any suggestions?"

"Well… go stand over there, I guess," Popuri pointed to the far corner, "and beckon them over, and see which ones come after you first?"

Claire did just that, and after a few seconds of calling "here, chickie chickie chickie," a small, fluffy white chicken caught sight of the blonde and wandered toward her, probably in search of more corn. The farmer grinned and bent to pick up the hen, but the chicken immediately let out a loud _squawk _and bounded away before she could get her hands on the bird.

"Urgh… this is harder than I thought."

Popuri merely giggled and stepped over toward Claire. "Here, let me help you out…"

With some help from Popuri, Claire managed to snatch up three pure white chickens, which the pinkette placed in a roomy but manageable cage. "Just for the time being, okay, little ones?"

She turned back to Claire. "None of these hens have names, so you can choose their names yourself!"

Claire winced inwardly; she wasn't always the best at naming animals. "How about… um… Rose, Daisy, and… Peach?"

The pink-haired girl shrugged. "Sure… sounds cute."

"So... how much will that be?"

Popuri thought for a moment. "...For Rose and Daisy, that will be 1,000G. But... you can take Peach for free."

Claire's eyes widened. "Really?... You're sure?"

"Sure! That's what friends are for, right? I'm sure Mom and Rick won't mind at all; they like you too."

"Wow... thanks!" As she dug out her wallet, Claire made a mental note to send the Poultry Farm a free basket of vegetables at her earliest convenience. Hopefully they liked tomatoes.

* * *

After another half an hour, the Chicken Festival's contest was announced to begin. Mayor Thomas approached the podium, which had been lowered enough to fit his short stature, and lifted a microphone to his mouth.

"Welcome, one and all, to Mineral Town's annual Chicken Festival! I hope that everyone has been enjoying themselves today."

Claire couldn't help but notice how the mayor grinned and chuckled to the crowd as if everything was all fine and dandy in Mineral Town…as if the town hadn't been the site of any odd events. Or violent attacks.

_Forget it, Claire... don't think about that just now._

"The chicken contest will begin in five minutes! Contestants, please ready your prized hens and approach the stage."

An inquiry formed in Claire's mind, and she turned to speak to Popuri, who was standing beside her with one hand enclosed in Kai's, positioned at her other side.

"Who judges the contest?"

Popuri twirled a finger through one of her bouncy pink curls. "Well, Mayor Thomas does… and Rick, if he isn't already entered in the contest. But he's actually doing it this year, so I don't know who else… maybe Barley? He judges at the Cow and Sheep Festivals... but the mayor probably got some people from the city to do it. You know… chicken specialists."

Claire stared at her, one eyebrow raised incredulously. "Chicken specialists… um, sure."

A snort came from Popuri's other side, and Kai met eyes with Claire, barely suppressing an amused smirk. The farmer grinned and turned back to face the stage, where around five or six people had gathered with their chickens in their arms, including Rick. Rick held a large white chicken, though some of the other hens on stage were black and brown. He quickly wiped off his glasses and surveyed the crowd before him, a determined gleam in his eyes.

The chicken contest was a typical kind of animal contest, where the chickens were judged by a panel on their appearance and behavior. Claire had trouble keeping her eyes open for the duration of the contest; in all honesty, it did not interest her in the slightest. Though the chickens were rather cute, she supposed.

Popuri, on the other hand, was enthralled by the feathery contestants. Both Claire and Kai had no choice but to listen to her excited squeals. "Oh, look how _cute_ they are! Don't you think they're adorable, Kai?"

The tanned young man nodded his head and lifted a hand to stroke Popuri's hair. "Of course, Poppy..."

At the end of the judging, after the contestants had fallen back into the crowd, Mayor Thomas stepped up to his podium once more and adjusted the microphone.

"Ahem… well, now that the judges are finished with their work, let us begin announcing the winners! ...In third place, Hanna of Castanet Island!"

Claire turned to watch a woman in a large dress, her blonde hair tied back in a low bun, approach the stage with a cream-colored hen in her arms. Graciously, she accepted a small bronze medal from Mayor Thomas, and he continued on with the announcements.

"In second place… Vaughn of Sunny Island!"

A silver-haired young man dressed in cowboy attire stepped up to the stage with a black chicken that matched his hat, and wordlessly accepted a medal that matched his hair color perfectly.

"And last, but certainly not least… our first prize winner for this year's chicken contest… Mineral Town's own Rick, from the Poultry Farm!"

Popuri let out a happily surprised squeal as her brother accepted the gold medal with a grin. Over in the corner, perched on a bench beside the Poultry Farm booth, sat Lillia, who was watching her son proudly. Zack sat next to her in the shade, one hand on hers. Claire couldn't help but feel warmed slightly by the sight.

After the contest announcements, Popuri ran up to her brother and pulled him into a big hug, careful not to squish the chicken in his arms, while Claire followed behind. Kai had mysteriously disappeared, she noted.

"Great job, Bianca!" Popuri cooed at the hen. She scooped the chicken into her arms, beaming. "…And you did good too, Rick."

Popuri then skipped away happily to find Kai, and it was Claire's turn to congratulate Mineral Town's Chicken Festival gold medalist. "Nice job, Rick."

He glanced over at Claire as if in a daze, ruffling his hair with one hand.

"U-Umm… yeah. I mean, thanks, Claire…"

The blonde farmer grinned. "No problem!"

He laughed awkwardly. "Really, though… it was Bianca who won it for us. I just accepted the prize, haha."

Claire smiled. "Well, great job, both of you!"

Her smile never faded as she helped Rick, Popuri, Lillia, Zack, Harris, and the mayor round up the chickens that evening and bring them back to their coop at the Poultry Farm. And she continued to grin as she waved goodbye to Rick and Popuri and the others, scooped up her own trio of new chickens, and headed back toward Sunshine Farm. She had a chicken coop to prepare, after all, and other animals that needed feeding, and crops that required additional watering after such a hot summer day.

For once, the mysteries of Mineral Town didn't even enter Claire's mind.

* * *

**A/N: So yeah... that's about it. If you hadn't noticed, I can really imagine Popuri treating all the Poultry Farm's chickens like her own children, though maybe that's just me. Anyway, h****ope you enjoyed! And let me know how you feel through a review! Claire might be going on another date in the next chapter… or maybe not.**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	15. Sapphire

**A/N: All right, so you know how I said that Claire would be going on a date? Well, I've been working on this chapter for a while, and in the end, it didn't turn out how I had originally planned. So it's not exactly a date, and wasn't planned at all, but Claire **_**does**_** spend some time with a certain bachelor. So I guess that counts for something, right? You could also interpret it as a simple friendship scene, depending on your personal preference.**

**Anyway, enough of this nonsense. Enjoy!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

* * *

Chapter 15: Sapphire 

It was a rare occasion- Claire had actually gotten a peaceful night of sleep, an undisturbed slumber free of nightmares or fearful tossing and turning that had become commonplace since her move to Mineral Town. Which was fortunate, seeing as the blonde had been in need of a little beauty sleep… those dark, almost bruise-like circles beneath her eyes hadn't always been there, nor were they at all attractive.

Also, to the girl's slight surprise, the Chicken Festival had gone on without incident. In fact, it had been simple enough for her to just forget any bad memories, and act as if everything had been absolutely fine all along.

Though deep down, Claire knew she could never do that. Not until she got to the bottom of this mystery.

After her usual morning routine, now with the added chore of feeding the chickens and collecting their smooth, hard-shelled eggs, Claire found herself becoming increasingly bored, and at a loss of new things to do.

Taking in the sight of Sunshine Farm's vast fields, Claire took a deep breath and hoped that some idea might come to her. Though the nearest field had been cleared to accommodate her small garden of growing corn, onion, and tomato sprouts, much of the farmland was still blanketed in a layer of old logs, boulders, and scraggly weeds. Perhaps some field clearing work was in order.

Stepping back into her cottage, Claire checked the large tool chest in the corner for the necessary tools, naming each one off as she went. _Hoe, sickle, hammer… _Finally Claire came to a rusted, worn-out axe. Remembering the vast number of logs that dotted her fields, she decided that she should go after those first. Might as well put the old logs to good use, after all. Maybe she could build a fence out of the wood, so as to keep her cow and any other livestock she might purchase in the future from wandering away into the forest or town roads, while still allowing them the freedom to graze in the sunshine.

Solidifying her decision, Claire lifted the axe from the chest and carried it outside into the fields, past the sprouting vegetables.

With great effort, Claire took the old, heavy axe in both hands and did her best to lift it over her head by the handle, arms quivering slightly at its weight. _Goddess, I really do need to work out more…_

Eyes squeezed shut in exertion, she brought the axe swinging down upon the wood log in front of her, chopping it in two with a dull _thud_. In temporary relief, the farmer released a breath of air. _Whew…_

She lifted the axe again to go after the next log, and then again, and then again. A small collection of wooden slabs began to build up in the field, though not nearly enough to build a fence out of. Unless she wanted to enclose a single tomato plant.

Lifting her axe again to chop up an especially thick chunk of wood, Claire brought the axe crashing down, only to have the worn tool hit the wood with a loud _crack_ as the rusted metal blade split in two.

Claire stared at the now-broken axe in disbelief. _Seriously…?_

Perhaps a trip to the blacksmith's was in order.

* * *

"Hello? Saibara? Umm… is anyone here?"

Claire entered the blacksmith's shop cautiously, unsure of herself. The room was empty, though the forge glowed faintly against the back wall, behind the low counter. To the right, a door stood slightly ajar, leading into another room. Most likely the living quarters of Saibara and Gray.

Suddenly, there was a noise from the back room, and the door swung open with a faint _creak_ of its hinges. To Claire's surprise, it wasn't the bearded blacksmith, but his grandson and apprentice who entered.

Gray glanced at the farmer girl with the faintest air of contempt. "What do _you_ want?"

Claire narrowed her eyes, though her face paled slightly in embarrassment. "I… I just needed to buy a new axe… mine kind of broke."

The young man raised an incredulous eyebrow at her. "It… _broke_?"

"Erm… yeah." Claire turned to lift the heavy tool from her rucksack, displaying where she had split the rusty blade directly in two. She hefted the axe forward, holding it up sheepishly with both hands.

Gray took one glance at the decrepit tool and rolled his eyes before abruptly turning away. "Let me just go get Gramps… stay here."

He went back through the door he had come, and in just a few moments, the young man reentered with his elderly grandfather, Saibara, at his side. The white-haired old man approached Claire, one pale bushy eyebrow raised as Gray stayed behind, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned nonchalantly against the back wall.

"So… What is it that you need, young lady?"

Claire merely directed the man's attention toward the axe in her arms. Saibara bent forward to get a closer look, as Gray let out a snort. Claire shot an irritated glance toward his end of the room.

"Something funny?"

His expression was completely stoic, his voice cold. "No… just leave it to a city girl to mess things up."

Ignoring the exchange, Saibara took the axe from Claire's arms to closer inspect the blade. With a stroke of his beard, he said gruffly, "Well… seeing as the blade's completely rusted through, it looks like we'll have to forge a new one for you. At a small fee, of course."

He gestured toward his grandson. "Gray should be willing enough to do that for you today."

At this information, Gray's eyes narrowed furiously. His voice barely concealing the irritation eminent in his expression, Gray said in a dangerous tone, "Gramps… I've been working the forge all morning! Can't I at least have a break? Reforging that blade will take up the rest of the day!"

Saibara narrowed his own eyes in response, his beard twitching slightly. "...And perhaps that's why you never get anything done! Always concerned about break time! Never willing to take your time, work through the finer details!"

The argument went on, until with one last huff of anger and annoyance at his grandfather, Gray stormed out of the blacksmith's without another word. Saibara turned toward Claire, slightly apologetic.

"I'm… sorry you had to see that. I'll have to fix up your blade myself, seeing as Gray seems in no rush to hurry back to work. Stubborn, lazy young man, that's what he can be sometimes." He sighed.

"It's no problem, though, so don't think this is your fault or anything. The axe should be done later today perhaps, if you want to come back around to check on it then."

Claire nodded, still uncomfortable from the small argument that had just unfolded before her. "All right… I'll see you then, I guess… Thanks."

She stepped out of the shop with one goal on her mind- to find Gray.

Unfortunately, Claire didn't know the first place to start looking for the young blacksmith's apprentice. Perhaps he was at the church? Probably not, she reasoned. Or maybe he was on his way toward the beach, headed for Kai's Snack Shack? She had seen him there a few times this summer already.

Though truthfully, Claire had a feeling that Gray frequented the library in his spare time, and that that was where he was hiding out now. It seemed like a perfectly quiet place to cool off, after all.

* * *

The library was dead silent when Claire entered. _Silent as the grave…_ Claire shuddered at the creepy comparison that had entered her mind.

She glanced at the front desk, and saw that the young, black haired librarian Mary was sitting behind the counter, busily scribbling something into a notepad as she absentmindedly fingered the rim of her glasses. Claire peered around the bookshelves, but Gray was nowhere to be seen.

The blonde approached the front desk where Mary sat, just as the other girl glanced up and quickly pressed her notepad closed. "Claire…? I haven't seen you around here before… Um, what could I help you with?"

Her voice came out in a whisper, as if she didn't want to disturb the books nestled on the shelves surrounding them.

Claire leaned forward, and found that her voice also came out in a near-silent whisper, though that had not been her intention. "Have you… _Ahem_, I mean, has Gray entered the library in the past ten minutes or so?"

Mary shook her head. "Oh, no… No, I've been all alone here today. Why? Is something wrong?" A slightly hurt expression crossed her face. "Is Gray all right? Normally, he comes to see me with any of his problems…"

This time it was Claire's turn to shake her head. "No, it's fine, Mary. He just had an argument with his grandfather, that's all. He stormed out of the blacksmith's shop in a rage, and I was just wondering if he had come here. I guess not."

"Oh… Well, that's not unusual by any means." She took a moment to think. "Perhaps… you should check the Goddess Spring for him? It's such a relaxing area, the perfect spot to cool off after a heated argument or whatnot."

"Sure… Thank you, Mary."

"Of course… anything to be of help. And I'm sure Gray is fine…"

But Claire was already out the door. Mary watched her go, a strange feeling of longing building up in her chest. If only _she_ were the one going to check on Gray… she was one of the closest things he had to a friend in Mineral Town, after all. But no, she had the library to tend to, and it wouldn't hurt for Claire to try and get closer to the other villagers like that.

The librarian turned back to her notepad. There was no point in worrying- she had a novel to work on.

* * *

A few birdcalls were heard in the distance as Claire entered the Goddess Spring clearing, their simple melodies mixing with the swiftly churning waters. Here, she at last found Gray, staring blankly into the crystalline waters with his hands in his pockets.

At the edge of the pond, a light mist from the waterfall sprayed tiny droplets across their skin, cooling them off in the scorching summer heat. It was definitely relaxing, Claire thought. No wonder Popuri liked to come to the Goddess Pond. Something about the place just radiated a sense of peace, security, and tranquility.

"...Gray?"

Claire spoke up hesitantly, afraid that the young man would antagonize her. However, he merely drew a deep sigh.

"Yes?"

The farmer girl's mind searched frantically for something to say to him- a question to ask, perhaps, or a few comforting words. But instead, she stood in silence beside him, and it was Gray who took the first step.

"...Sorry for acting the way I did with Gramps back at the shop. You probably didn't want to see that." He scuffed at the dirt with one shoe, his eyes hidden in the shadow of his cap. "...He really gets to me sometimes."

Claire nodded, her gaze fixated on him. "Yeah... yeah, I can understand that. I felt the same way sometimes, back when I lived with my mom and siblings in the city... It was like they were always expecting something big out of me. Like I was being pressured to do better than I already was, better than I knew I could... We're all only human, after all."

She looked away and shrugged. "But remember... your grandpa's only human, as well. He just wants the best for you, and his attitude with you is just his way of urging you to be the best you can be."

Gray's face reddened at her words, and he snapped in response, "What would _you_ know?"

But Claire ignored his angered outburst, saying nothing as she twisted a lock of golden hair around her finger. For a while, they stood together in silence, staring into the clear sapphire waters of the Goddess Pond.

"Hey, Claire…"

Startled by his sudden decision to speak, Claire turned her head toward the voice.

"What?"

Without another word, Gray stuck his hand into his jeans pocket, digging around until he recovered something from within; some small item that fit snugly within his closed fist.

Silently, Gray motioned for Claire to bring her hands forward, and he dropped something small and hard into her outstretched palms. She lifted the item to her face in order to inspect it more closely.

It was a brooch. A small blue sapphire cut into an ovular shape, outlined in silver, its surface glinting beautifully in the sunlight. And to her surprise, it was the very same brooch that she had been admiring at the Chicken Festival. There was a small pin at the back, so Claire could attach the ornament to her clothing if she so wished. Overall, the detailing on the piece was exquisite.

Claire's crystal blue eyes widened, and she cupped the brooch within her palms in wonderment. It matched her own sapphire irises perfectly. "What… what is this for?"

He shrugged his shoulders, trying to look indifferent to the situation. "I just noticed you were admiring it at the Chicken Festival, is all."

Claire stared at him, a smile forming across her lips. "That…that was really nice of you, Gray." _I didn't think he had actually been paying attention to me whenI was observing the jewelry..._ _I thought he wasn't bothered with me. But it seems I was wrong._

The young man narrowed his eyes at her. "It's nothing. I made that brooch myself, anyway."

Gray might pretend that the gesture was nothing more than a simple act of random benevolence, but Claire could tell that it was more than that. She could _feel_ it.

_Maybe Gray isn't so bad after all… Maybe he's just a shy guy who wishes he was someone different, but doesn't quite know how to go about things. And... perhaps this is his way of thanking me._

The blonde girl grinned. "You know what, Gray…? You're all right."

Gray merely shrugged. "Whatever."

"Well… thank you."

For a split second, the faintest trace of a smile crossed Gray's lips, and Claire couldn't help but giggle at his stubbornness. He immediately broke into a frown at the girlish noise.

"What?"

"Oh… nothing."

And yet, Claire felt some discomfort in accepting the gift from Gray, and even in speaking to him. Something just didn't feel right. A strange feeling tugged at the girl's heart, but at the current moment, she could not decipher what exactly that feeling was.

Perhaps someday she would figure everything out, but that day wasn't today.

* * *

Back at the farmhouse, all was quiet. Even Bailey, the energetic puppy he was, lay asleep within the comfort of Claire's bed, emitting only the sound of his own gentle, rhythmic breathing.

Suddenly, a penetrating ringing noise pierced the silence, echoing around the empty walls like the shrill screech of a banshee. On the smooth surface of the bedside table, perched beside a flower-filled vase, sat a telephone, the source of the deafening ringing. The small Caller ID screen on the phone lit up, displaying the words 'Unknown Name: Unknown Number' in harsh, blocky lettering.

Roused by the sound, Bailey lifted his head from the pillow, ears perked in interest. He barked once, but with no response. The phone rang on, and no one was around to answer it.

After ringing three times continuously, the mysterious caller hung up with a soft _click_, not bothering to even leave a message.

The house was left in silence once more.

* * *

**A/N: Well, I'm sure this chapter appealed to Graire fangirls, at the very least. Not exactly a date, but sort of, in a sense. It depends on how you look at it, I guess. And who do you think this 'mysterious caller' was?**

**Anyway, thanks for enduring this wait. And don't worry about the late review, Hershey- I'm just flattered that you still remembered to leave one after all that time. :)**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	16. Summer Breeze

**A/N: Well, I've been on vacation for a few weeks! And o****ver that period of time, I reread the entire script so far and realized that it needed some improvement. So, instead of writing new chapters, I rewrote/reworded various sections of previous chapters. Unfortunately, it probably took longer than it should have. Because of that, some things in newer chapters might not make perfect sense if you aren't familiar with the changes made (though there was nothing too drastic). Therefore, it _might_ just be a good idea to reread the fic...**** Though you may want to do that regardless, as you've probably forgotten what was going on in the story, anyway. It happens. **

**Either way, I'm happy to be back and writing again!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

* * *

Chapter 16: Summer Breeze

The sun's rays beat down on the back of Claire's neck while she bent over to tend to her crops, and the young farmer could just feel her skin burning up. Her entire body felt hot and sticky, her old T-shirt clinging to her back with sweat, bangs practically plastered to her forehead. It was disgusting, really. But nothing that she couldn't push through- this summer heat was certainly the least of her worries.

Her long blonde hair swished forward as she sprinkled water across the green stalks in the garden with her cheap plastic watering can. The various plants in her field had grown quite a bit in the past few days; already, Claire could spot the small green bulbs that were her steadily growing tomatoes, and her corn was growing taller and taller with each passing day.

The farmer wiped away a bead of sweat that had begun to drip down her forehead in the midmorning heat, ruffling her bangs in the process. _Good Goddess, it's hot... at least there's a nice breeze._

At that thought, a warm gust of wind blew through the fields, blowing Claire's hair back over her shoulders and causing the treetops to sway, their leaves made into a chorus of rustling.

Suddenly, a cheery voice called out to Claire from the farm entrance to the girl's left, and the blonde lifted her head to spot three familiar faces. A short-haired brunette and a bespectacled girl with long, raven black hair tied back in a braid lifted their hands in greeting as they approached her, while the third visitor merely nodded his head slightly in what Claire assumed was his way of saying 'hello'.

Claire waved back with a grin, pleasantly surprised at the interruption. "What are you guys all up to?"

It was Elli who responded, her tone cheerfully light. "We were just heading down toward the lake for a picnic!"

She held up the large picnic basket hanging by the crook of her elbow, the lid open just enough for Claire to glimpse the collection of edibles within. "Want to come along with? I made sandwiches; I'm sure there are plenty enough to share!"

For a split second, Claire hesitated, though it was an offer she wouldn't have normally refused. She had nothing against picnics (quite the contrary, in fact); she just _didn't_ want to go through the forest again. Claire had done it before, just yesterday in fact, but for some reason, the very idea now made her stomach clench uncomfortably. Sure, she good had reason to be suspicious of the woods around her farm, but then again, nothing had actually _happened_ to her while there.

Except, of course, the discovery of the mangled deer. Claire felt a minor wave of nausea pass through at the single disturbing thought of the poor, massacred animal.

And Gotz- though Claire did feel sympathy for the lonesome carpenter, she _was_ frightened by him just the slightest bit, and the story of his family's fate still haunted her...

The knot in Claire's stomach tightened. "...Why don't we go to the beach, instead?"

Mary shook her head, her braid swishing against the back of her dress. "No... it's much too windy out on the beach today... the sand would blow into our food and everything. At least by the lake, the trees will block most of the wind." As if to prove her point, another gust of wind blew across the field, swaying the grass and nearly causing Mary's glasses to fall off her face.

The farmer girl glanced over at Gray, who had been standing silently in the background for the entire duration of the conversation, looking relatively sullen. "You're going, too?" she asked him, the faintest hint of disbelief in her voice. He had never seemed the type to go on a picnic with a group of ladies, at least not voluntarily.

The blond-haired young man merely shrugged, hands in his pockets as he glared at the ground at Claire's feet. "...Yeah."

Claire cocked her head to one side questioningly. "Why?"

"Well... Mary asked me to join them."

"Oh." Claire had a strange feeling that Gray would do nearly anything if Mary were the one to ask him. The thought bugged her slightly.

The dark-haired librarian happily nodded in agreement, her cheeks tinted pink. "Oh, yes... it was originally just going to be Elli and I, but then Gray stopped over by the library just as we were leaving, so I asked if he cared to join us... And then, since we decided on going to the lake rather than to the beach, Elli and I thought we may as well invite you too, Claire... we would be passing through your farm anyway, and we figured you could probably take a break from work... Luckily, we cooked extra!"

"Yes," Elli added on, "we would be happy to have you join us! I'm on a short break from work as well, which is why Mary and I made the plans in the first place."

The blonde girl managed a grin. "Thanks for inviting me... yeah, I could definitely use a break. And... well, the lake sounds really... refreshing, in this heat."

The other girls responded with genuine smiles, and Claire sighed inwardly. If only she could actually share in their enthusiasm.

* * *

About half an hour later, Claire, Elli, Mary, and Gray stepped out of the woods toward the fields surrounding the lake, where they were met with the faint scent of grass and wildflowers and the smell of fresh summer air in the countryside. As she took her first step out of the shade into the light of the sun, Claire took a deep breath and closed her eyes- she could never get enough of that smell.

Much better than the smell of the city, she decided, with its acrid stench of car exhaust and people and pollution.

_..Or the smell of blood._ The girl cringed as the fleeting thought brushed through her mind. She would never forget _that_ smell, not after...

But enough of that, Claire interrupted herself. She was here to have _fun._ Luckily, their walk through the forest had been utterly uneventful, and the four of them were now able to enjoy a peaceful meal among themselves, and the bounty of nature around them.

Sunlight glittered dazzlingly off the surface of the lake, and a gusty summer breeze rustled the tops of the trees nearest them. A few puffy white clouds steadily made their way across the sky, though they were nowhere near large enough to block out the sun's intensity. Claire squinted across the meadow at the lake directly opposite them before taking off down the grass, the others following closely behind. Without taking so much as a glance in the direction of Mother's Hill, the blonde settled herself a few meters from the edge of the water. There, the grass was warm from the heat of the sun, and Claire fought the urge to just lay down and curl up for a nap.

_Perhaps I should have brought Bailey along with me... he would have loved running around in this field. Though it's not like he can't do that back at the farm, I suppose._

Elli walked up and gently set the picnic basket down on the grass beside Claire, opening it and tearing a large red and white checkered blanket from within. "Watch out!" she called, throwing the blanket over the ground and then patting it down once it had settled. Mary smiled as she sat down on the blanket with the other two girls, and she beckoned Gray to come join them.

Elli grinned as she tucked a few windswept strands of brunette hair behind her ears and began lifting a variety of small packages from the picnic basket, taking her time to distribute the goodies within. Sandwiches of lettuce and tomato between two slices of bread, wrapped in thin plastic, were passed around the circle, along with sliced pickles and small hard-boiled eggs from a few reusable containers.

"These eggs are from the Poultry Farm; Popuri gave them to me as a gift."

Claire paused, about to bite into one of the eggs in question. A strange, inexplicable feeling came to mind, but then it passed as quickly as it had come and she shrugged, popping the egg into her mouth without a second thought.

"This is really great stuff!"

Mary nodded in agreement. "Oh, yes... Elli did most of the cooking, and I must say, she did quite a spectacular job!"

Elli waved the compliments away with one hand, though she couldn't hide the faint tinge of pink spreading across her cheeks. "Oh, it's nothing... I mean, thank you, but really... I'm always preparing supper for Grandma and Stu, anyway. I've taught myself a thing or two. Though I'm nowhere near as good a cook as... as Ann."

She looked slightly embarrassed that she had even decided to mention the injured girl, and a vaguely uncomfortable silence commenced as the others said nothing in response. It was better that way, anyway.

The picnickers continued to dig into their meal, the girls chatting amongst themselves while Gray sat awkwardly on the outskirts, listening in but pretending not to be. Mary kept trying to get him involved in the conversation, but he rejected her every advance, preferring instead to eat in silence. Claire had to wonder, _again_, why he had even agreed to come at all.

Finally, as the meal was reaching its final stages, Elli addressed the group for a surprise treat, the picnic basket now perched proudly in front of her.

"I brought pudding for dessert!" She grinned as she produced a large, round container from the basket and pried the lid off with her fingers, revealing a good-sized mound of the sweet, creamy concoction. "It's a good thing I remembered to bring bowls and spoons as well, haha..."

Claire smiled as the brunette piled small scoops of the pudding into bowls and passed them out. "Wow, Elli... you really went above and beyond with this picnic, huh."

The young nurse blushed. "Oh, like I said, it was nothing..."

"Though... it would have been even better if Trent could have come as well," she whispered in a tone that she thought would be inaudible to the others, though Claire herself managed to catch the girl's words.

The blonde farmer smiled to herself. _So Elli really _does_ like Trent..._ She had plenty of evidence of that, though she wasn't about to confront Elli about it. Now was just not the time.

After finishing her bowl of pudding, which tasted of vanilla, Claire glanced up and noticed that Gray, who had been sitting across from her on the blanket, had a conspicuous smudge of pudding over the corner of his mouth. Without warning, she impulsively lifted a hand to wipe it away.

Startled, Gray backed away and nearly fell backwards off the edge of the picnic blanket. Claire couldn't help but smirk slightly at his reaction, and she stifled a laugh.

"Just relax... You have a bit of food on your face, is all." She reached over and pressed one finger to Gray's face to wipe the pudding away, and the young man's cheeks flushed scarlet as he shoved her hands from him. It wasn't clear whether he was angry, or embarrassed, or simply a little irked.

"Cut that out."

Quietly, Mary pressed a hand to Gray's arm. "Shh... it's not a big deal. Claire was just trying to help."

Gray humphed, clearly agitated, and Claire couldn't help but feel the slightest sense of accomplishment.

After their meal, the four young picnickers spread out on the grass to relax. Feeling slightly giddy, and comfortably full after such a lovely lunch, Claire stripped off her shoes and socks, which were both coated in a thin layer of dirt from working the fields earlier. The summer breeze tossed her hair around and rippled the surface of the lake as she inched toward the edge of the water and stuck her feet out to dangle them in.

Claire stifled a slight gasp as her feet grazed the surface. The water was _cold_! Much colder than the water at the beach, where she had gone swimming plenty of times already. _At least it's refreshing,_ she told herself. Which it most certainly was; after only a minute or two, the young blonde was able to get used to the temperature of the water, and even rolled up her jeans to lower her legs up to the knee in the cool liquid. Though she definitely wouldn't want to go swimming in it.

Elli soon joined her at the bank, and Mary after that. Gray joined them as well, but only after a certain amount of grumbling and a good deal of encouragement from the librarian.

_What a beautiful day,_ Claire thought. Now _this_- this was something she could get used to. Relaxing by the lake, some of her new friends by her side, a warm summer breeze blowing through their hair and cool, refreshing water to dip their toes into.

_This_ was what she had left the city for.

* * *

Back on Sunshine Farm, Bailey stretched out comfortably on Claire's bed with a yawn. Blinking sleep from his eyes, the drowsy puppy leaped down from the bedspread and tottered across the room on unsteady paws in search of his food dish. The entire room was quiet, and Bailey didn't at all mind, though he did miss Claire dearly when she went out during the day.

Without warning, an ear-splitting ringing sound cut through the silence, and Bailey, startled, began to bark.

After a minute or so had passed, the ringing shut off, and a single loud beep announced that Claire's answering machine had kicked on. A male human voice filled the room, and Bailey immediately stopped barking to perk his ears curiously at the sound.

"Hey... Claire? It's Jack... I was told by a reliable source that this is your new phone number, so don't be surprised that I'm calling you. I'm sure you knew that was bound to happen, anyway. I know all about your move to Mineral Town, and I seriously doubt that you thought you could hide it from me forever."

"Please, call me back as soon as you can... I need to talk to you. It's important. _But_ since you still probably won't, I'll be coming to visit you three days from now... whether you want to see me or not. I already bought the ferry ticket to Mineral Town, so don't try to convince me to stay back."

"I do miss you, Claire... I'll see you soon. Bye."

_Click._

* * *

**A/N: I'm so excited that I finally got this done! Though it was a short chapter... mostly filler, really. But there's a new character coming into the story, so be prepared for a small subplot!_ And_ the new chapter is already in process! I kind of hope to have this story finished by the end of May, though that might just be wishful thinking on my part. :/**

**Any reader reviews would be greatly appreciated, especially after my hiatus. Thank you all for reading!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


	17. A Secret Uncovered

**A/N: I apologize for the slow update. I've been having personal issues which I prefer not to discuss here, as well as exams for the past week or so. ************I've also been working on another Harvest Moon fanfiction that I haven't posted yet, since I'm still kind of unsure about it, though I'll probably begin posting the story within a week. (Hint- it's a crossover!)**

**On another note, I want to thank all of you recent reviewers for taking the time to read the story and giving me your thoughts- Hershey, hanahanimon, flickeringdreams, inferioridiot, Shi-Otaku 324, and Lucy Kay! And another big thanks to all of you other readers out there who don't always review, but still take the time to read! It all really means a lot to me. :)**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**

* * *

Chapter 17: A Secret Uncovered

Claire entered the Inn hesitantly that morning, her mind still on the events of yesterday.

More specifically, the fact that _he_ called her yesterday, while she was out at the lake with her friends. _And_ he was coming _here_, to Mineral Town. Claire knew it would happen, eventually- but not quite so soon. And now, a nagging feeling of apprehension, mixed with a prickle of guilt, tugged at the back of her mind.

Inside the Inn, the dining room was pleasantly warm, and virtually empty but for the few souls who had arrived early for the breakfast specials; in one corner, Saibara sat alone sipping a mug of steaming liquid, probably coffee, and Carter was seated on the opposite side of the room, an empty plate in front of him. He smiled welcomingly at Claire as she crossed the room, and she managed to smile politely back without it looking like a grimace.

Doug grunted as Claire approached the bar counter to place her order. His hair was unkempt, and the undersides of his eyes were outlined in dark, bluish-gray circles, the result of countless sleepless nights.

_Well, that makes two of us_, Claire thought to herself bitterly.

"What would you like?," the innkeeper asked, his voice uncharacteristically void of emotion.

"Umm..." the girl passed a glance over the Inn's simple breakfast menu, "I'd just like some eggs, sunny-side up, with orange juice. Oh, and toast, but go light on the butter, please."

Doug nodded and turned into the kitchen without another word, and Claire took that as a signal to go sit wherever she liked. After a moment, she decided on a small table against the front wall of the dining room.

Awkwardly, Claire sat down in silence and looked around the room, avoiding any eye contact with the other diners. Fortunately, it wasn't long until Doug came back with her order.

"Eggs, sunny-side up. Toast with butter, and orange juice. Enjoy."

Claire paused in thought for a moment, prodding one of the fried eggs with the tip of her fork. "This looks good. Are these from the Poultry Farm?"

Doug nodded silently.

"...Does _everyone_ get their eggs from the Poultry Farm around here?"

The innkeeper nodded again. "I would think so. They _are_ right in the neighborhood, so there's no need to ship in eggs from elsewhere."

"Oh... well, that makes sense." _Duh_. Claire flinched inwardly- it seemed she had a bit of a penchant for asking stupid questions. Doug nodded once more and walked away without another word, and Claire was left alone to eat her eggs and toast in quiet solitude. Not that she minded much, as the food was delicious, as usual.

Claire only glanced up again when Doug came back around her table to clean up. "You all set, then?"

"Oh... yes. And it was wonderful, thank you."

He gave her a small smile. "Of course... that will be 300G."

Though that was by all means a reasonable price, Claire bit her lip as she pulled out her wallet, hesitant to get a full view of the meager funds within. She handed out the small amount of money to the man and paused for a moment, indecisive, as the innkeeper turned back toward the kitchen.

"Wait..."

Doug swung around to readdress the farmer, moustache twitching. "Yes?"

"Umm... I was just wondering, if you knew of any... well, job openings in town?" She shrugged. "Just small jobs, you know... nothing big."

Sure, Claire had just recently purchased a cow and three chickens for the farm, which helped to bring in a little more cash when Zack came around to collect the milk and eggs, but it was still... not exactly a lot. _Some extra money would certainly be useful, even just a tiny addition,_ she reasoned.

And after that message from Jack, Claire couldn't help but feel the slightest bit guilty about her current condition.

Doug crossed his arms, eyes narrowed in thought as he scoured his mind for a possibility.

"Would I be able to work here?" Claire interjected hopefully. The innkeeper shook his head.

"No... no, I'm fine here on my own. Ann should be out of the Clinic soon enough, at any rate." Seeing the vaguely dejected look on the farmer's face, he added, "Perhaps you could go next door and see if you could help out at the winery for a little extra cash? They might appreciate the help."

Cliff. Cliff worked at the winery. Claire hadn't spoken to him in what seemed like forever.

"All right... I'll go see what I can do. Thanks, Doug."

"No problem."

* * *

Manna had been sitting alone at the table, fiddling absentmindedly with her fingernails, when Claire tentatively stepped into Aja Winery. The woman's expression immediately brightened at the arrival of another person whom she could talk to, seeing as her husband often avoided her long-winded spiels.

"Oh! Hello, Claire, dear! How nice to see you again! And how's life on the farm going for you? What could I help you with?"

Without waiting for an answer, she went on, "You know, I was just saying to Duke, 'I do wonder how that girl Claire is doing out on that old Sunshine Farm!' and he said, 'Well, why don't you go see for yourself?' And oh, I would have loved to visit! I'm sure you've cleaned the farm up quite nicely and all."

"But you see, I had to go meet with Sasha and Anna in Rose Square that day, and I was _sure_ that Sasha would have some new information on Ann's condition, seeing as she lives right next door to the Clinic, and her daughter has been friends with Ann for years! Karen, that's Sasha's daughter. I'm sure you know her. Oh, what a character! Sasha's told me some stories about her, and there was that one _mishap_ concerning the community soup at the Harvest Festival two years ago, but I have to say, that girl has a simply _beautiful_ voice! Boy, can she sing! Why, at the Music Festival last fa-"

"_Ahem_," Claire interrupted. "Manna, I came to ask... um, do you need any help in the vineyards? You see, I was looking for a way to make a bit of extra cash... you know, for the farm-"

"Oh- oh, of _course_, dear! Of course you can help out! I'm afraid we- as in, Duke and I- don't have an especially _large_ sum of money to spare, but definitely enough to help you earn a little extra, as I'm sure Duke would agree! Especially for such a lovely girl such as yourself!"

"Cliff works here, as well- you know Cliff. He's been working here for a few years now, and he's such a wonderful young man, at that! Duke and I practically treat him as our own son! The boy we never had! He's very soft-spoken, but very sweet as well- barely talks _at all_, I mean, when I speak to him, he says not a word back, but he's a good listener! And _very_ handsome, I might add! _And_, he's single. In fact, Claire, perhaps _you_ should ask him out on a-"

_"Manna!"_

Duke came stomping down the stairs, looking distinctly disgruntled as he glanced around the room at Claire, who by now had a noticeably pink tinge to her cheeks, and Manna, who seemed shocked at her husband's interruption.

"Manna, quit embarrassing the girl!"

Claire smiled in gratitude at her savior. _Thank you!_

She began to speak again. "Umm... Duke, I was wondering if-"

"Claire here wanted to know if she could work in the vineyards for a little! Just to make a bit more money to go toward the farm, considering the shape it was in and all. And of course she can, right?"

Duke ran a hand across his face, exasperated. "Man- ugh, never mind. Claire..."

He looked the girl up and down, sizing her up while she held her breath. "Yes, you can help out in the vineyards. I'm sure Cliff could use some extra help out in the field anyway, since Manna and I don't generally go out there. _Our_ job is indoors!"

Manna nodded in agreement, before squinting down at the young blonde farmer. "You look young... Are you still underage?"

Claire stammered, "I-I'm almost-"

"Well, no matter! You'll only be dealing with the grapes in the field, anyway, so no alcohol for you!" Manna exclaimed playfully. "And I better not see you sneaking into our wine stores!"

Duke rolled his eyes at his wife, while Claire suppressed a giggle. He turned to face the girl again. "You can go on and assist Cliff with the grape vines today. He's out in the field already, so help him do whatever needs to be done; he knows exactly what he's doing. And afterwards, you can just come right back in here for your payment."

"Thank you!"

* * *

After exiting Duke and Manna's home on the winery compound, Claire leaned against the wooden fence surrounding the Aja Winery vineyards, peering through the sea of grape vines for that familiar head of bushy brown hair. Upon sighting the brunette ponytail of Cliff, Claire clambered over the fence- taking extra care not to get her pants snagged on the fence post this time, or a loose board- and ran over to greet him.

"Hi, Cliff!"

Cliff jumped, startled by the unexpected feminine voice directly behind him, and Claire blushed sheepishly as he turned around with an equally red face. "Ahem... Hello, Claire."

"Sorry for startling you like that," the blonde apologized. Cliff merely shrugged awkwardly in response.

"So... um, Claire, what are you doing here?"

"Duke hired me to help you out today!" She lowered her voice. "You see... well, I just wanted to make a little more money for the farm and everything, and-"

Claire trailed off as Cliff raised a hand to silence her. "It-it's fine.. you don't need to explain yourself to me."

"Oh... okay." She peered over Cliff's shoulder at the grape vines behind him. "So, what were you doing? You know, until I interrupted you?"

The young man gestured at the plants with a wave of his hand. "I was just pruning the vines, and checking for pests and such... Routine tasks."

Claire managed a smile. "Well, hey- I'm a farmer! I'm used to this kind of stuff, so it shouldn't be difficult." She glanced at the clusters of rounded, bluish-purple fruit hanging from the vine. "They look nice."

"Yeah, well... they're not quite in season yet, so no eating."

Sharing a smile, the two young people each picked up a pair of pruning shears and set to work. For the most part they worked in silence, though a certain question nagged at the back of her mind the entire time. One that she wished to ask Cliff, but at the same time, she didn't want to frighten him away.

After their work was finished, however, and Cliff was just finishing up on the last section of vine, Claire decided to take her chances. "Hey, Cliff... there's been something I've been meaning to ask you for a while, now..."

"Umm... wh-what is it?" He raised an eyebrow, not looking at Claire, though his voice cracked slightly.

"It's... well, it's about the monster you saw."

Cliff froze. "What?"

"I-I need to know exactly what you saw... the night you first saw the monster. You said it was the same thing that I had seen! I have to know what happened... what you saw, and what you did, and what _it_ did. Please, Cliff... it's important."

"And," she continued, "it might help me find out more about... um, about what happened to Ann."

The young man closed his eyes for a minute, until Claire thought he might have fallen asleep.

Finally, with a quick glance at the girl's expression, he spoke. "Fine... I-I'll tell you."

"But please," he added, "don't tell anyone else this, Claire."

She nodded in understanding, and Cliff began. "First... you know that- that creature you saw, Claire?" Claire nodded earnestly.

"Yes... it was only a few nights after I had moved into Mineral Town. I had eaten dinner at the Inn that night, and it followed me back through the streets, all the way to the farm." She shuddered at the horrific memory. "It was terrifying, honestly. The monster... it was huge and dark, partially hidden in the shadows, with glowing eyes of scarlet."

Cliff bit his lip and stared down at his feet. "Well... I-I saw it too. As you already know."

"It happened not long after I moved to Mineral Town... Sort of like what happened to you, I guess. I wasn't even working at this winery yet." He raised one arm in a wide arc, gesturing at the vineyards aoround them, before continuing. "It was a relatively cool night, some time in late summer, just before the leaves began to change, and I... I was walking back to the Inn from the Supermarket, since Ann... Ann had asked me to pick a few things up for her, and I needed to buy... something, too."

He shuddered. "I-I remember, the moon was especially bright that night... distinctly noticeable against the blackened backdrop of the night sky."

"It was around... say, nine o'clock at night? Possibly nine-thirty? ...Either way, I was walking down the road when I got this strange feeling... that kind of feeling you get when someone- or some_thing_- is watching you..."

"I got really nervous, so I-I started to walk faster, but these heavy footsteps were following me, and when I turned around I saw... _it_." A strange expression came over Cliff's face as he described what he had seen. "It was an enormous dark figure, covered in what looked like th-thick black hair, or fur, with piercing red eyes that seemed to stare straight through... straight through my soul. And it wasn't just some animal, I know for sure- it was unlike any animal I-I had ever seen before."

"Panicking, I started to run as fast as I could back to the Inn, which luckily wasn't far at all... A-And the thing didn't follow me after that. It just stood there in the shadows to the side of the road, watching. Waiting. Something about the sight of it... just struck fear through my heart."

"As soon as I got into the Inn, panting and coughing, Ann and Doug came to my aid. I tried to explain what had happened, but I couldn't. I just... couldn't. And I had dropped the things that Ann asked me to buy, but they both saw how freaked out I was and didn't press it... Doug just sent me up to my room, told me to get some sleep. B-But I'll never forget what happened that night."

"That sounds... Cliff, that sounds _just_ like what I saw!" Claire's eyes widened. "And... I'm sure it was the same creature that attacked Ann. Did you- was this the only time you saw it?"

Cliff shook his head. "No... no, I've seen it a total of five times."

Claire opened her mouth to speak, but then decided against it and merely shook her head as the young man abruptly stood up and walked away toward Duke and Manna's home.

_I suppose I've heard enough from him_, Claire decided as she, too, stood up with a frown. _Not really much more to say anyway... at least, from what I assume._

Taking one last glance around the vineyards, Claire managed to put a smile back on her face as she followed Cliff into the winery.

* * *

Claire sighed with relief as she flopped down onto her mattress just over an hour later, exhausted from another day of hard work. Bailey immediately jumped up to join her on the bed, eager for some attention. She smiled at the puppy, scratching him behind the ears and laughing when he spun around and around to chase his tail in circles.

Suddenly, the phone started to ring. Bailey began to bark at the noise frantically, while Claire patted the dog's head soothingly and sushed him as she lifted the phone to her ear to answer the call without a second thought.

"Hello?"

"Claire? Is that you?"

The whole world froze in a heartbeat at the sound of that voice. At least, that's how it seemed to Claire.

"...Jack?"

"_Claire!_"

The girl heard an angered grunt from the other side of the line, and she twirled her finger around a thin blonde strand of her hair anxiously, dreading what she knew was about to come next.

"_You_-" He sounded as if he were struggling to keep his anger down to a manageable level. "You can not even _comprehend_ how furious I am with you right now."

"Umm..." all of a sudden, Claire was feeling downright frantic, her mind flying through dozens of excuses, though she settled on playing the innocent card. "I-I don't know what you mean-"

"Ugh, come on... you _know_ perfectly well why I'm angry with you. Mother has been worried sick about you! Just going off on your own, without so much as a goodbye or a phone number to call or a simple _explanation_ as to why you suddenly decided to just up and leave? What is wrong with you? We had no idea where you were!... Do you even _care_?"

Claire felt the sudden sting of tears forming in the corner of her eyes, but she held them off.

"Listen, Jack... you don't understand-"

"-Oh, I knew it, right from the start! Mother was prepared for the worst, but I for one know you would be one to pull something like this! Leaving the city, leaving your family, dropping out of college for _this_? Some hick town in the middle of nowhere?"

"_Listen_, Jack, I hated the city! And I didn't _want_ to be a Goddess-damned _lawyer_! Or a doctor, or a businesswoman! You wouldn't understand! You never understand how _I_ feel! It's always about mother, and Jill, and never about what _I_ want, what _I_ need! And Mineral Town is _not_ just some _hick town_!"

She heard a deep sigh from the other end of the line. "Fine... just fine. Whatever. I just never realized you could be this selfish."

"And I never realized- oh wait, I _did_ realize how you could be such a narrow-minded, uncaring control freak. You always try to control _my_ life, and tell me what to do! You're not my father, you know." She immediately bit her lip, sensing she had gone too far. However, the voice at the other end didn't sound angry; instead, it appeared rather gloomy and wistful.

"Claire... I know I'm not Dad. Nobody could replace him. I just wish you had... said something earlier. I didn't mean for it to come to this, honestly. I care about you, and the same can be said for Mother and Jill. Though you could have at least _called_."

"...I know. And I'm sorry."

An awkward silence commenced as the argument died down, until Jack said, "I'm coming in for the Mineral Town Cow Festival."

Claire raised an eyebrow, unseen by her brother at the other end of the line. "The Cow Festival?"

"_Yes,_ Claire, the _Cow_ Festival. Goddess, you would _think_ one would do a bit more research on the town they give up their entire life to move into."

Claire flinched at the thinly veiled insult in her brother's words. She could practically _feel_ the sarcasm dripping in his comment; he was well-known for his cynicism and snide remarks.

"Hey..." she started, frowning.

"And..." he continued, "You and I are going to have a serious talk when I get there."

Oh, well. It was bound to have happened sooner or later. Just as he had somehow found out Claire's new phone number and discovered where she now lived- if only Claire's detective skills were as good as her brother's, when it came to solving the Mineral Town mystery.

"How's Jill doing?" She asked abruptly, and heard Jack sigh in response.

"She's fine, Claire. Misses you, but she's doing fine. Mother, too."

"Can I... talk to her?"

She could practically see Jack shaking his head, wherever he was. "No... I'm not home right now, on a business trip to Flowerbud. You're welcome to call her up yourself, but she might not exactly be sympathetic to your cause."

"Oh... well, it was worth a shot, I suppose. As long as she's all right. Bye, Jack."

Jack let out another small sigh. "Goodbye, Claire. And don't forget- I'll see you three days from now."

_Three days._ Claire hung up the phone and stared at it a few seconds before slamming it down on her bedside table and falling into bed, hands pressed over her eyes.

"Well, Bailey... looks like we've got our work cut out for us."

Bailey barked once in reply, his little tail wagging ferociously. Claire managed a grin, despite the circumstances.

"Yeah... that's what I figured."

* * *

**A/N: ****Hope you enjoyed the chapter! It wasn't the most exciting, but some important things were cleared up and questions answered, hopefully. And there will be more answers in the next chapter. Speaking of which, t****here are only around eight more chapters, so we're nearing the climax of the story. Luckily, now that I'm on summer break, I might be able to get an actual update schedule going that I can really stick to.**

**By the way, Jack and Jill are indeed the other playable farmers from the Harvest Moon games, whom I used just to make things eaisier. Though obviously, they aren't farmers now.**

**Thank you all for reading; any feedback would be greatly appreciated!**

**-Cotton Candy Mareep**


End file.
